Exchanged Body and Exchanged Soul
by Shiroi Mi
Summary: There is a common myth which claims that when two people are faced with death simultaneously, their souls swap. This is true, as much as Kudo would deny. Here's the story of Kudo and Kaito as they faced their worst enemies - themselves in another's body
1. Cat and mouse

Hello this is ShiroiMi after being inactive for so long thanks to school. But whatever. Just a random passing thought that i wanted to pen down quite some time ago. Anywhere here goes. The series will be 4-5 chapters long. featuring of course kAiTo and KuDo. Here goes. Chapter 1- CAT AND MOUSE

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><p>There is a common myth which claims that when two people are faced with death simultaneously at the same location and at the same time, their souls swap. This is <span>true<span>.

"Kid, you aren't getting away from me this time." Kudo shinichi, finally back with his 17 year old body declared.

The two mentioned were presently in a cat-and-mouse chase on the highest floor of the building at the Emerald Wonder Kid heist. Kid, presently in the lead, were darting, side-stepping, leaping from pillar to pillar, from corner to corner, from side to side, in a effort to shake off the bloodhound behind.

The bloodhound behind was none other than the high school meitantei, Kudo Shinichi. After his 'disappearance' for so long, now he is back into the limelight and this Kid heist was becoming one of the best ever.

"Eh? Big words, tantei-kun. You sure you aren't wearing a hat too large for you?" Kid teased, light-hearted in tone. Although he was dashing in a race, his voice didn't falter, his breathing was calm and even.

Kudo smirked. "You think? Last few times you have physical advantage, but now you don't. So now, we are on equal grounds. A simple game of good vs evil and good always triumph." Kudo's voice was calm and even as well, no strain, no sign of weakness.

Kid made a sudden action of turning a sharp left by pivoting on his left foot. His action was flawless and wasted no time nor did he slowed his speed. Kudo mimicked his action perfectly. His left foot landed softly on his toes, using his body momentum, he spun on his toes and continued the chase.

It was an one on one death match.

"Hmph. You think? I had been holding back on you tantei-kun because of your situation I gave you handicaps. Didn't you notice?" Kid laughed heartily. They were steadily heading to the rooftop, Kid destination.

"ho? Handicaps. Well, for that should I apologize?" Kudo poked fun at Kid. He knew Kid's destination was the rooftop, his usual hand glider grand finale. Ho, but if Kid thought that he was just like any other heist game with Edogawa Conan, he would be in for a nasty surprise.

Kid smiled at Kudo's reply but didn't answer back. His feet raced him to the last flight of stairs. He reached first, naturally, since he was quicker than Kudo, faster and swifter but Kudo matched him with strength so it was sort of an even match. Still the quick always passes the finishing line first declared Kid because he was always the 'quick' one. No one, be it detective, police or thief, had matched him in his agility.

Kid flung the door open. The cool night air rushed towards him, his white cap flew freely behind his back. He slowed his pace and reached the edge of the rooftop.

Kudo sped through the open door fractions of second later. In one swift motion he drew his gun.

"freeze." Kudo commanded. His gun hand was steady, the barrel pointing straight at Kid's white back against the dark evening sky.

Kid froze, his back still facing tantei-kun, not even bothering to turn around. He had anticipated this. "Hmm. Dangerous toy you have there tantei-kun" No trace of fear in his voice.

"I told you. I am Kudo Shinichi. It won't be a game of tag anymore." Kudo smirked.

"So tell me. You are going to shoot me?" Kid asked back, a battle of words had just begun.

"try me." Kudo said mysteriously, confidence in his voice.

Kid remained silent. The war reached a temporal stalemate. The two of them stood silently at the top of the building, one at gunpoint. The chilly wind breeze blew all around him. The white cap of Kid flew, flapped in the wind. Time seemed to stop.

Kid turned his face sideways a little, looking at Kudo Shinichi from the corner of his right eye. Using his right hand to tip his hat downwards a little. "You know something tantei-kun?" he paused. "even I knew nothing else about you, which I do, but if I didn't, I know that you can't shoot. Not because you can't shoot but you wouldn't be able too" He gave his final smirk before leaping off the roof.

Simultaneously, a bang echoed in the evening air. Smoke trailed out of the gun in Kudo's hand, gun powder erupted from the barrel. Kid fell.


	2. So be it

Surprise Surprise. Back to back release. XD  
>Please review if you like it. :D<p>

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><p>Kid opened his eyes slowly like they weighed a ton and for some reason his head was pounding uncomfortably. The sky was bright, brilliantly bright, almost blinding him. Subconsciously he used hand to rub the point on his head where it hurt most, like jabbing pain, someone pounding on his skulls. He winced slightly.<p>

His body was unnaturally stiff like every joint in his bone had rusted. As he moved, his jointed cracked like he had been lying there for centuries. Which he knew he wasn't. He remembered the day before event clearly. His tantei-kun had shot him and he had fallen off the building! As this point, he suddenly realized a shocking revelation. He wasn't bleeding. He wasn't in pain as one should be from falling off the 35th level of a building. The strangest thing was he was still alive, breathing. He could feel his pulse. He didn't die. Which defied all laws of physics or whatever not.

Bewilderedly he glanced at his surroundings, he was at the foot of the building. The day before's tower where he had stolen Emerald wonder was still there. The white tall skyscraper glistening in the bright morning sun, or was it afternoon?

"Urg." came another sound from below. Kid lower his gaze to his surprise, he spotted himself in his white cape and clothes on the floor. A quick logical thought through revealed that the other guy now sprawled on the ground could only be Kudo Shinichi, his only identical doppelganger. Kudo sat himself up the Kid cape flew over his shoulders, the top hat fallen beside him, his head supporting his head as if he also had a similar headache. Kid squat down.

"Yo Tantei-kun." He said, his Kid grin back on his face through it felt stiff and unnatural.

"Arg. My head hurts." Kudo replied, wincing in pain. His right gloved hand touched the spot where it hurt.

"So explain what happened last night. You've got a lot of explaining to do." Kid said a glint of danger in his voice. Even though he didn't elaborate, Kudo knew he was asking about questions such as why he was in KID'S clothes, why they weren't dead from falling off so high, and why on earth had Kudo shot him. Kudo pulled himself up dusted and said, "I'll explain later. First find the gun that dropped with us and secondly do you have a change of clothes? If I ran around in this oufit I'll be chucked to the police station before I can explain anything."

Kid gave a nod. "Alright, the spare clothes in the back compartment of the clothes, I think you'll find it easily." Kudo nodded and headed towards the shadow to change. Meanwhile Kid walked around the area and searched for the gun. He found in the shrubs. It was a black pistol made to perfect size. He bent down to pick it up. It was light. Way to light to be able to contain any bullet of any size. He flipped the barrel open. He gave a bemused smile. This gun was so like tantei-kun. The gun didn't hold bullets, it held anesthetic. So first question answered, why had tantei-kun shot him, cause he wouldn't possibly had died from anesthetic if he hadn't fallen from the roof of the building. Oh wait, he had fallen from the roof of the building but still he hadn't died. Oh well~

Kid put the gun back into its original place in Kudo's clothes or rather now in his clothes since he was wearing them, where he knew Kudo kept his weapons. He found lots of other amusing things too. Things such as transmitters, GPS, magnifying glass, weird telephone shaped earring? Or was it was earring shaped telephone? and ho, a entire lockpicking set. Kid's eyebrows raised in amusing. Perhaps a detective and a thief is much more alike then they had thought.

Kudo then had changed out of Kid's clothes and wearing the spare change of clothes from the back compartment of the Kid costume. He folded the Kid costume neatly fearing that he would trigger something and brought it out to Kid.

"Can you pass me my phone? It's in your clothes the left inner pocket." Kudo said as he put the Kid costume into a random paper bag. Kid fished around Kudo's clothes which he was wearing and came up with the phone that Kudo asked for.

Kudo received it from Kid and dialed hakase's number.

In a few minutes later, Kid and kudo were seated in the backseat of the yellow beetle. Hakase looked at the two almost identical people in bewilderment, questions in his eyes. The two had the exact same face. The only different lay in their hair. One was neat and other was unruly. Neither made any attempt to clarify things for him.

Kudo stepped down when the car came to a stop at the Kudo mansion. Kid followed suit. The 'twins' entered the silent Kudo mansion.

"make yourself comfortable. I'll come round shortly with coffee." Kudo said as he headed to the kitchen to make coffee.

Kid sat down on the couch. His body was real stiff, seeing a bunch of pens on the table, he picked them up to do a juggle. He didn't feel comfortable just sitting there. He tried to juggle them, but his hand wouldn't move the way he wanted them too. They were too slow. Not too slow for average human, sure they were nimble but too slow for him, for the phantom thief. He actually dropped a pen! Kid frowned at his hands. What ever happened last night seemed to have really really destroyed his body.

Kudo came around with coffee and sat down opposite Kid. After a minute or two of silence, Kid finally broke the silence. "what happened?"

Kudo gave a sigh. "ok. First thing first, I apologize for shooting you. That was a bad choice. You were supposed to dodge it!" Kudo said in his defense then sighing he continued. "Oh well, the bullet didn't hit you, you jumped before that but it grazed you and so you lost consciousness. I'm sure you know by now, the gun held anesthetic meant to knock anyone out with even a graze. So you fell."

Kudo paused again. Kid remained silent, thoughtful.

"and then, I realized that you didn't put up your hand glider. The plan was, the shot would scare you make you jump off. Then you'll be forced to open your hand glider which I would have my helicopter chase down. Something that I couldn't have down being Conan but for some reason, perhaps I misjudged my shot or you were slow… whatever the reasons you got hit by the bullet."

Kid nodded. He thought as much. "So you jumped after me to save me?" kid prompted, a grin on his face. Even though it hurt them that Tantei-kun shot him but he did like the part where he jumped after him to save him.

"well. Yeah. I didn't really think…" Kudo murmured softly, a blush forming on his cheeks. He tried to hide it. He didn't know why he was blushing but he was. It must be because Kid has asked the question in such a… weird way.

"alright. I forgive you. Since I am still alive now." Kid said lightly. He could read from Kudo's face that he was blaming himself.

"Then?" Kid prompted. Unless Kudo had some kind of float or landing pad on standby as they fell or they couldn't have survived. Furthermore there was still no reason for them having to have changed clothes. Kid mused at the through of Kudo changing his clothes.

"Well. Something happened." Kudo continued to explain.

'What something?" Kid asked.

"urm. A fairy sort of appeared."

'Hah?"


	3. Exchanged Bodies and Exchanged Souls

Exchanged bodies and exchanged souls

The cold air was gushing towards them. They say that when you are about to die, your life would flash before you. Well Kudo wasn't sure if his life was flashing before him, but the cold hard ground below him was definitely flashing closer and closer as the two of them plunged headlog into the black darkness below them.

Kudo had jumped without thinking after the falling Kid once he had realised Kid hadn't put up his handglider. Now in the midst of falling and the process of dying, he realised that was stupid. He could have just asked his people in the heli to catch him or put up some kind of protective he-dunno-whats-and-dun-exactly-care-now things to save Kid instead of jumping after him like some hot-headed idiot.

Arg, thinking about those things wasn't exactly going to help them both survive, if it was even humanly possible. Kudo shook the unconscious Kid-kun hard trying to get him to wake up. But it didn't work. Kudo could see a bullet graze at the left side of his cheek and according to Haibara, that poison works perfectly fine even in minute amounts. Giving up on the idea of trying to wake Kid, Kudo tried to set off Kid's handglider. As he fished around for levers and buttons, getting more and more desperate by the seconds as they free fell through the night sky, a warm golden breeze surrounded the both of them in an orange glow that blinded them, or rather him since Kid was out, of everything except a glowing white figure.

"are you Kudo Shinichi?" the white figure asked.

Kudo nodded, surprised that, whoever the hell she was, she knew her name.

"And then I suppose that is kuroba kaitou." she said looking at the unconscious KID.

Kudo was confused. Kuroba Kaitou? Who's that? Is she referring to KID?

Seeing Kudo's confusion, she further explained. "Kuroba kaitou aka KID."

Kudo nodded. He tried to ask her who was she and what was she doing but couldn't. his voice wouldn't come out.

"I see. Do you wish to live?" She asked Kudo. Her emerald clear eyes staring pointedly at Kudo. Kudo nodded. Ran was still waiting for him probably at wit's end by now and he had after all finally took down the organization in order to live. So he wanted to live for sure. That was no brainer question.

The female nodded at Kudo's reply and looked at KID. KID remained silently unconscious. Then turning back to face Kudo, the girl asked, "Do you wish to save him? Even though there is a consequence?"

Kudo didn't think much about it. He was by no means a murderer and letting someone he could save die is as good as being a murderer to him. He nodded.

The girl nodded and a sudden blinding light engulfed Kudo who closed his eyes instinctively to avoid being blinded.

"JUST WAIT A MINUTE! YOU WHAT?" Kid suddenly halted Kudo's explanation and almost shouted in bewilderment.

Kudo sighed and responded calmly. 'I agreed. I didn't want you to die and I don't want to die either. It was only natural for me to agree. I did try set off your handglider but it wasn't working. So now, we have exchanged bodies and exchanged souls."

Kaito Kuroba, for the first time in his life, he felt like his head was going to burst from illogicality. He was supposed to be the illogical one not Kudo! Oh wait, actually now he was KUDO and it was alright for Kudo, now KID, to be illogical? ARGH… what the heck is going on?


	4. Day 1 of their lives

Day 1 of their lives. hey updates! :D

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><p>'SHINICHIIIIIIIIIIIII!" came Ran's voice, her hands threatened into a fist.<p>

"WHERE WERE YOU LAST NIGHT?" She said (read: yell). "I couldn't contact you through your phone and the police had no idea where you were too? I thought…. I thought…." Then suddenly bursting to tears, she slumped to the ground.

Kaito felt sorry for himself but more sorry for Kudo. He wondered how Kudo managed to hang out with such a dangerous girl like her. Since morning where Ran-san had woken him up at the Kudo mansion, she had already demonstrated more than enough of her very apt and well trained skills, destroying a total of 2 tables, 3 lights, 2 holes on the wall and dented a random streetlight made of metal outside the Kudo mansion.

"er…" Kaito had no idea how Shinichi responded at this time. Then deciding to do it his own way, he rushed into embrace with the girl who was crying on the floor and apologized for worrying her. Ran was slightly shocked with the sudden action of Shinichi but received his hug and cried into his shoulders. She was really worried sick the last 2 days since the KID heist.

(well actually Kaito wanted to conjure up a rose, but given the state of Kudo's hands….)

~Kuroba mansion~

"Kaito, are you ok?" the worried mom of Kuroba Kaito came into the room where Shinichi was napping. His head still felt light from the supernatural turn of events that he still refused to acknowledge even though the evidence is overwhelming.

Hard truth of his role model Sherlock: Whatever remains, however improbable can only be the truth.

"ngh." He grunted back. It was only yesterday that he knew KID's identity and his house. He had no idea how kaito usually acted. He was long not used to having a female in the house cooking and waking him up. It felt strange. Ever since young he had always gone out to eat by himself or join Hakase for dinner, having a 'mom' suddenly felt disorienting. He wasn't used to having someone else permanently in the house. Plus, the room of Kaito was frightening. Since his coming home, he had already accidently set up 3 traps in the room. Though mild but definitely not good for his blood pressure.

"ne Kaito" Kuroba-san continued fussing in concern. "Oh yadda. You still have a fever. Oka-san will go prepare the usual. Aoko came to see you yesterday. Today just take the day off and recover. When you are better, fill me in on the details of your last heist ne?" She said with a brave smile though Kudo could clearly see pain in her smile.

~Yesterday~

_"you understand right? While we are living in each other's lives we cannot, absolutely cannot, let our identities be exposed." Kudo explained. _

_'Any way to get back to normal?" kaito asked, desperate. _

_"the 'thing' whatever it was did say that once we 'become true' or something we can revert back to normal." _

_'what does that mean?" _

_"How the hell would I know?"_

_"Hey you are the detective."_

_"Not anymore. __You__ the detective now." _

Argh. Headache. Headache. Headache. Kudo lay on the bed (which he still refuse to be called his). Kaito's room was in a mess. More headache. Plus all this detective notes were in his mansion. How can he continue his case which was interrupted by KID. Oh wait, now he was KID. He shouldn't be working on any case. Oh dang it, then what was he supposed to do, go to school… Ekoda was it? And do homework? Dang it. What does KAITO do usually anyway.

Kaito in Kudo mansion felt exactly the same way. He could navigate the house without problem but his magic stuff were all at his house and in his room. What would Jii think? Furthermore, he had planned for the next heist already! In this body condition which Kaito would grade as way below anything remotely close to capable for his heist, he couldn't carry it out. Plus, all he knew about Kudo was his detective life. What was he like in school? Oh crap. Not to mention, some keibu by the name of Megure and Sato had left some answering message on the house phone. And the message ended with "please contact back quickly" What the hell was Kudo doing before the heist? Plus Kaito had no intentions of entangling any deep with police of any sorts besides Nakamori.

As kaito debated about these things, the telephone rang. He picked it up cautiously. "Kudo mansion here" (he still couldn't bring himself to say "Kudo here").

"Baka~~. What are you saying? Are you called Kudo mansion or something?' came the snickering voice from the opposite end which could only be one person, Kudo himself.

"That's your fault right? What did you expect me to say Hi I'm shinichi? It feels weird. This whole affair is weird."

A slight pause. "I do second that actually. How do you usually treat your mom? I… hardly see mine since a long time. I… really don't know how to handle her…."

"Pffft. You're weak with adult females?" Kaito couldn't help but laugh. He had always thought kudo was the ideal picture of a perfect bloodhound like Sherlock Holmes.

"…" Kudo flushed red on the other end. That why he couldn't handed Kisaki Eri too.

'Any…anyway. We need to… I don't know… give each other a run down of our lives?" Kudo sighed into the phone.

'but we can't meet up. It would be strange and out of place." Kaito commented.

"Ah fine. Then we can just talk through the phone. So I'll start then. What do you do in the morning as kuroba kaito?"

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><p>please review if you feel like it. Thanks for reading :D<p>

Shiroi Mi


	5. Top Form

Hello mina! This is a CHRISTMAS BONUS! Usually I update once every week but cos its the festive period. Here's a bonus!

Thank you to all the readers and here what happens on the Kudo side. :D

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><p>"KAIIITO!" was the first greeting of the morning as Kudo opened his eyes. His fever and sickness had worn off though he still felt mentally tired.<p>

Aoko stood by the bed, fuming in a shade of scarlet red. 'KAIITTTOOO" came the fierce and dangerous voice again.

"ah. Ohayo Aoko-chan." Kudo replied groggily. Last night, the two had talked late into the night, telling their lifestories even so, they only managed to cover the basics of the basics. For all that kudo knew about Aoko was that she was a classmate who picks Kaito up in the morning. And she was highly dangerous with a mop.

Aoko's fury suddenly subsided. _Aoko-chan?_ That is weird. Usually Kaito would be going "Bakaoko" or something and doing a magic trick somewhere, maybe flipping her skirt. Oh well, Aoko knew Kaito had always been weird. Finding herself unable to get angry at the so defenseless and strangely polite Kaito, she turned her back and said, "Hmph. Whatever. Get out of bed. We're going to be late for school."

"Hai. Hai" Kudo stretched. If he was being Shinichi and she was Ran, he would have skipped school totally today. Or at least attempt to until Ran does a free karate demonstration in his room. But Kaito would have gone... right? No point thinking of it too much anyway.

"ja. I'm going to change." Kudo said, pushing the girl out of the room gently and shutting the door behind her. This action only left Aoko even more confused. Hadn't Kaito always 'changed' magically in front of her somehow 'poof' and he would be dressed with that cheesy grin on his face that would be begging you to ask him how he did it and when you did, he would reply with "I'm not telling you" in a sing-song voice.

"oh. Aoko-chan what are you so deep in thought about outside Kaito's room?" kaito's mom said as she walked up the stairs only to find Aoko leaning against the closed door of Kaito's room, face lost in thought. "Oh Obaa-san!" Then shaking her head slightly which caused her hair to swish around, she added, "nothing. Is kaito well? He's been absent for 2 days."

"Yeah he got a high fever and the chills." kaito's mom explained smoothly, the usual.

"Again?" Aoko sighed thinking of how useless this guy was.

"Thank you for looking after Kaito all the time." Kaito's mom added with a warm smile.

Aoko blushed slightly. "It's…. No problem. No problem at all!"

Kudo walked out of Kaito's room dressed in Ekoda's uniform. His eyes still sleepy and refusing to wake up. Kaito had explained rather agitatedly over the phone last night about Aoko's strange obsession with mops and whacks, especially if the victim was Kaito. He had said she was "_intolerable, outright strange, hates KID, scary like monster_" amongst lots of other things which Kudo now feels for sure he was exaggerating. Aoko seemed like a nice enough girl. Much more demure as compared to a certain girl he knew.

"Aoko-chan, let's go? You had breakfast yet?" Kudo asked casually. Kaito did told him they were "close".

Aoko flushed again. It was the first time ever that Kaito had asked after her well-being! Her heart skipped a beat. But she suppressed it naturally and retorted with, "BAKA! Stop it with your strangeness. I've always known you're weird. What prank are you pulling today? Calling me Aoko-chan"

"AH! I know." Aoko suddenly grinned and her eyes sparkled with understanding. "You lost a bet with hakuba didn't you? HEH?"

_Bet? What bet? Kaito didn't say anything about this! So usually Kaito's calls her what? just Aoko? _

"aoko." Kudo said softly as the two walked towards the school which hells know where.

"Wha…What is it Bakaito!" She said, looking away.

"Er. What happened when I was away for 2 days?"

Kudo decided it was best to get more information from the girl first.

"Mah, our homeroom teacher made a big fuss again. Since everytime you decide to skip class for KID heists and stuff. Then of course, the math teacher was even more pissed since you skipped class and thus missed the test. Think he'll make you do the makeup test today." aoko explained nonchalently. "Well history teacher has already probably given up hope on you.

The two reached the main gate and entered the school compound.

Ekoda school was very different from Teitan. The school layout was completely different. It gave off a different vibe. Plus it was weird not knowing anyone from the school. He did know some of the 'more important' classmate names but he couldn't recognize them anyway. Plus, when he went to school at Teitan, he knew most people and was always greeted by his fanclub and occasionally even the press. Secretly, he wondered how Kaito was doing but a friendly smack on his back brought him back to reality.

"KAITO! You are walking the wrong way!" Aoko said. Kudo had absent-mindedly made a right turn as if he was in Teitan.

"opps" embarrassed as groups of people turned to stare at him due to Aoko's loud voice, Kudo made a U-turn to catch up with Aoko. "Heh…. Er was kindda deep in thought." He explained weakly. He couldn't possibly say he had no idea where the stupid classroom was located.

"Mou! Kaito!" Aoko chided as they climbed the stairs up. "you sure you're ok? Today you are really really weird."

"I'm fine. I'm fine." Kudo reassured her and followed her upstairs, into the classroom.

Kaito explained the location of his seat yesterday so Kudo located it without problem, the window seat 3 rows from the back. He walked as casually as he could but somehow wherever he walked, the classmates would turn to stare.

It was outright strange, not to mention disturbing. As he walked by, everyone seemed to be on a slightly higher alert and would stare at him like he was going to pop his eyes out of something, like they were expecting something. Awkwardly, he walked to Kaito's seat, trying to convince himself that it was just him imaging the queer stares.

Sighing with gratitude as he finally sat down. He had no idea why on earth everyone was staring at him like they just witnessed a pig flying or some Mars lifeform walked by them.

"Something happened since the Kid heist? Ne Kaito KID-san." came a smooth voice from behind.

All the alarm bells in Kudo rang. His face froze into half-shock. Kaito did say to keep his secret as KID at all costs and no one in his class knew about him yet. Then suddenly Kudo recalled him ranting about someone called Hakuba, some detective, who always insisted he was KID and reminded him over and over again (when Kudo was already half-sleep mode: Kudo could never understand how Kaito can keep going on and on and on forever without stop or any signs of weariness. His blood must be run on Red Bull or something) to keep himself on guard against this Hakuba person. What was the term? Ah yeah Poker Face. Poker Face.

Kudo gathered himself and attempted to put a blank face as well as he could before turning back to the person who spoke, "what are you talking about Hakuba?"

But what was done was done. Kudo could see in Hakuba's eyes that he saw everything and wasn't the least bit convinced.

What was he going to tell Kaito when he got back? That he screwed up his secret the first thing in the morning of the first day? Hell no, he'll be a laughing stock for the rest of his life.

"Ne Kaito. Are you ok today?" a random classmate came over in a somewhat shy manner.

Kudo looked up. She was pretty cute. Kudo smiled reassuringly, 'yes I am fine. Sorry for making you worry."

"EH? No pranks today?" the whole class asked in union and surprise.

_What? Kaito pranked the class everyday? That idiot…._ Kudo thought to himself.

'Arh. No more pranks for now. Change of heart." He grinned back at the class.

The day passed with surprising tranquility which was outright abnormal for the class. Aoko kept giving Kudo weird stares and teachers did even attempt to conceal their shock at the new Kaito. Not only was he no longer grinning like a idiot, playing pranks, he was actually ahead of the class in school work.

The weird kaito is the hot topic of the class.

"Ne. What do you think bout Kuroba-kun today?"

"I don't know. He is really really weird. Is he sick or something?"

"Doesn't seem that way to me… But… I do like the new Kaito. Don't you think he suddenly look go much handsomer? I think he has been playing the fool for a long time, finally showing his true colors now."

Kudo sighed as he overhead the whispers of the girls in his class. As the school day ended, he walked towards the teachers staffroom accompanied by Aoko.

"Sorry to disturb. Is Sumi-sensei here?" Kudo asked politely as he opened the door to the teacher's staffroom and received the exact same response as the class in the morning. All the teachers turn to stare, some with their jaws literally dropping. It seemed like Kaito was an infamous troublemaker in Ekoda High.

Kudo spotted the math teacher and gave her a polite nod. Sumi-sensei gestured him to enter. Kudo did as told and walked to her table.

"This is the math test you missed. There is an empty consultation room right there." she said handing Kudo the test and pointing to the closed door which read 'Consultation room". Sumi-sensei had seen red the time Kaito skipped her test… again. She had promised herself to give Kaito a piece of her mind when he returned, but seeing the new Kaito now, she couldn't bring herself to scold him.

Kudo took the paper from Sumi-sensei and went to the consultation room to take the test. As his eyes registered the questions and his brain processed the answers, Kudo's mind was all the way somewhere else, wondering what 'Kudo' was now doing.

In 1.5 hours, he finished and decided to hand it back to Sumi-sensei, mind still in a daze and a list of questions forming mentally to ask Kaito the minute he was able to. Sumi-sensei was still at her desk, busying with some papers and file on her table. "Sorry Sumi-sensei. Where should I put this?" Kudo said.

Sumi-sensei gave him a surprised look. "you're done already? This test is 2 hours long. You still have 30 mins."

"Ah. I think its ok. I'll just submit."

"Well suit yourself. Just pass to me well do." She said as she accepted the paper from Kaito with a smile. Somehow, today she felt she was beginning to like kaito. As Kudo left the staffroom, all the teachers swarm over to Sumi-sensei's table and an animated discussion about kaito began.

'Ne Sumi-sensei. How's the test?" A male teacher asked. He was the history teacher of Kaito's class. Sumi-sensei began to mark immediately, being more and more surprised as she went along.

"F…Full MARKS!" She exclaimed, completely startled. "And this is a completely new test I just wrote up this morning, he couldn't have gotten hold of any hints or answers from his classmates". "OH~" the whole staffroom echoed in utter shock.

Halfway out of the teacher's room, Kudo smacked his head and chided himself for being stupid. He had totally forgotten to make some mistakes in the test and did it like he, the Kudo Shinichi, would.

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><p>Love the last bit of humor there! :DD Ty for reading until the end. Do review if you fee like it but most of all MERRY CHRISTMAS!<p>

Next chapter sneak preview: Bottom form (the Kaito story)

:D What happens when the cool Kudo becomes a playful kaito, well magic that's what.

Shiroi Mi.


	6. Bottom Form

Haha this is now KAITO'S SIDE OF THE STORY! :D **BOTTOM FORM**.

Anyway there is something i need to address about Kaito's IQ thing because many reviewers have asked. it is not that Kaito's is dumber is Shinichi. They are probably just as smart as each other (although I'll reckon Shinichi's just a tad better, but that's my personal take on it :D). The reason that Kaito doesnt do academically as well as Shinichi is because he doesn't really care about this studies. He can ace everything if he wanted but he doesn't so you can say he's playing the part of the fool. I am quite sure Kaito wouldn't have wanted more attention to himself than necessary because of his KID persona. So it is unlikely the Kaito will use his high intellect fully for studies. :D that's why Kaito don't get full marks nor take advance lessons as you'll find soon. xD

Well with that addressed. Here goes:

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><p>"Shinichi?" A tall girl with a rich chestnut brown hair peered into the dark corridor in the Kudo mansion. "Shinichi?" She called out again in a tentative tone. A flicker of fear crossed her eyes as she suddenly remembered how Shinichi would return only to disappear again. Shinichi had promised this time was for sure but… can his words be trusted anymore? "SHINICHI!" She called loudly now more in fear and dread.<p>

"What is it?" The curt and bored tone that could only belong to Shinichi himself resounded back. Ran turned to look at the source of the voice and heaved a huge relief. There he was, leaning by the door frame, still wearing his pajamas and in his… bed hair? Ran had never remembered Shinichi's bed hair to be so… unruly like it was today. Shrugging off this unimportant detail, Ran walked over to the yawning and sleepy Shinichi and gave the wall he was leaning on a very very 'light' hit.

Kaito was shocked, completely losing his poker face for a while as Ran just created new cracks in the wall. He jerked away and made a very exaggerated face of shock (it was his real emotion though). "Mou Ran!" He said in the Kudo voice, mimicking his tone and voice to perfection. "what's up so early in the morning! Don't create anymore dents than necessary in the mansion. It is costly to repair them!" He said with a mocking tease.

"Ou? Expensive?" Ran retorted. "Well, who's the one who looked after your house when you were off sniffing on some case?" Ran said, taking a step closer and raising one eyebrow.

"Ok. Ok I get it. I get it." Kaito said backing away. Aoko had been bad but Ran? It was way worse. Not only was she stronger and faster than Aoko ever was, she was profession and TRAINED. Sure, Kaito had confidence that he could dodge her but in the persona as Kudo, he didn't think so. So for now, better to avoid.

"if you don't get dressed in 5 minutes, I'm gonna 'help' you get dressed." Ran said with a threatening tone. Eek. Kaito ran for his life as he slammed the door close behind him back into Kudo's bedroom. All of a sudden, Kaito appreciated very very much how his real life was and how much safer it was. Taking 2 seconds to change with a swish of his cloth, he was all dressed in Teitan Uniform ready for the day as Kudo Shinichi… NOT. As he glanced into the mirror to inspect himself, he became shockingly aware of the stunning difference: HIS HAIR! It was still puffy like a mesh of untamable nest.

Using the remaining time of 4 mins, Kaito struggled to pin down his hair, spamming all the gel that he could find in the room. The best gel managed to hold his hair down for the record time of 5 seconds. Giving up as Ran called again, he exited the room and headed to school with Ran, letting Ran do the leading since he hadn't got time to find out where on earth Teitan was.

"Seriously Shinichi! Your hair is a mess what happened?" Ran commented as the two of them walked towards Teitan.

"Erm? Electric shock?" Kaito said lightly, momentarily slipping his persona of Kudo. Ran gave him a queer stare. "Ah I mean I was helping out at Hakase's yesterday and well, you know." kaito let Ran fill in the rest of it herself. It seemed to have worked.

'Ohayo Kudo-senpai!" Two very cute girls walked past him and greeted. Kaito's eyes lit up, cute girls! If they were in his class in Ekoda high, he would soooo have flipped their skirts for the fun of it. It was a strange feeling to be greeting by cute girls. Kaito thought back to Ekoda high and how every girl who knew the name kaito Kuroba would have kept at a safe distance. Prudent. Kaito would have called it.

"ohayo." He replied back with a wide smile. The two girls giggled slightly and ran off. Kaito didn't realize that this reaction from the girls were strange until much later.

As the two approached the school, Kaito noticed the large mass of people who can only be reporters and people from the press given their large equipments and their immediate and unified dash towards him when they saw him. In a matter of seconds, they had him surrounded and lens trained on him.

'Ne. High school detective Kudo Shinichi! Give us some words about the latest case that you worked on with the police. The blackmailer to the head of finance of Toutu Financial! How did you deduce it?" The press fired questions at breakneck speed.

For kaito who loved attention, this was welcomed. BUT the questions they were asking he had NO IDEA what they were about? What case? What blackmailer? What and what? He was confused. His brains tried to think through the long conversation at night with Kudo who had explained some case which he said it was important for him to know but Kaito had listened with one ear in and one ear out. For once, the KAITO KID was tongue-tied in front of a camera.

"Ah." was the only thing he could say. His eyes flickered to Ran for help. Ran read the distress signal and forced her way through.

"People. We need to go to school soon. Regarding cases, I'm sure the police will explain everything clearly. So please excuse us." She said with a certain forcefully that demanded obedience. Then grabbing Kaito's hand, she pushed her way through the crowd, pulling Kaito along.

It was the first time that the KUDO SHINICHI had not taken the chance at media to brag about his case or his achievements. First time ever since Ran knew him to have been tongue-tied about his case. If it was the usual Shinichi, he was have began an animated discussion about the case, with body movements in a showman style. Going on and on until she had to step in and drag him out of it.

Today's Shinichi was definitely WEIRD. Maybe something had happened during the KID heist? She wondered but didn't ask. It had been so long since the last time she remembered being with Shinichi form more than 1 day and sometimes, it really pains her to think what might have happened during the months he had been away. Somehow, this time when he returned. Ran couldn't even be sure anymore if this Shinichi was the same Shinichi that she had waited so long for.

Distance makes the heart grow fonder… right?

As the two of them entered the classroom, groups of girls constantly hung around Kaito. It was totally different when he was in Ekoda High. He was sort of enjoying it. He knew that tantei-kun was strangely charismatic but not this much! To each and every group of fan girls, he gave his most gorgeous and friendly smile, giving them a slight wave of his hand.

Even in the classroom, Kaito was constantly surrounded. The crowd was eagerly eating up all the detective tales he was telling them, the one he knew from being involved in some ways or another and those which they had read on the newspaper or heard from kudo. Ran sat at her table, a row away from Shinichi's with a glum look.

"Ne Ran? What's up with the long face?" Sonoko walked to her and sat beside her, leaning on her table. 'Aren't you glad that your danna is back?" She teased.

"Ung…." Ran murmured softly.

Sonoko became concerned. "What's wrong Ran?"

"It's just… Shinichi's kind of weird… I mean…" Ran began but couldn't exactly put it into words well.

"Yeah. I noticed that too. He's… a lot more brighter today isn't he? Like happy or carefree kind of thing." Sonoko commented, looking at the cheery Kudo who was entertaining the girls.

"Is that jealousy bubbling up?" Sonoko returned to her light-hearted tease and nudged Ran.

"Mou. Sonoko!" Ran retorted, blushing again. Inwardly she wished it was just her and jealousy as Sonoko said and not because Shinichi really changed.

"Hai. HOMEROOM!." The homeroom teacher entered, banging the table loudly to get the attention of the class. The students quickly scrambled to their seats and waited for the roll call. Kaito took this time to register some of the faces of the classmates. He recognized Sonoko right away from newspapers and from her hanging around Kudo in some of his heists. Ran obviously. As the homeroom teacher roll called, his brain very swiftly registered all the faces to their names. It was a piece of cake.

During lunch break, Kaito was once again swamped by crowds of girls eager to her Kudo's tales. Although he enjoyed attention (very much) but it was getting kind of annoying to hear so many praising someone else in front of you. Well, they didn't know that of course. It was quite frustrating and sickening to hear people talk about how good Kudo is, Kudo that blah blah. It got to a point that Kaito wanted to get away from the girls and the crowd.

For once, Kaito, the class clown was GLAD that lessons started. He made a mental note to as quickly as possible scoot out of the classroom once class ended which is still a long time away. Kudo's class is the elite class which means they have EXTRA LESSONS. The thought of it was killing Kaito.

Kaito said at Kudo's desk, eyes focused on the board, pen moving and presenting a thinking and concentrating expression although inside he was just waiting, waiting and waiting for class to end and bored to the depths of hell. His fingers itched to do a magic trick, to do a coin toss, a deck of cards. ANYTHING!

"Kudo-kun, would you do this question?" the math teacher suddenly called, snapping Kaito out of his thoughts. CRAP! Was the first word that came to Kaito's mind. He hadn't been paying attention at all. His eyes registered the question on the board, it was a complex calculus question. Oh just great. He thought to himself sourly. His _favorite topic in match_ C-A-L-C-U-L-U-S!

Outwardly, he smartly stood up and walked over to the board. His brain made no heads or tails of the question which gave him a trouble, because KUDO SHINICHI the smarty-pants would have KNOWN the answer and if he suddenly became DUMB all of a sudden, that would ring alarm bells. As he walked the short distance to the board, his mind was whirling at full speed, not on attempting to solve the question but on HOW TO GET A PEEK AT THE ANSWER BOOK THAT THE TEACHER WAS HOLDING!

The answer came to him in an instant. Kaito, unobtrusively, fished out a snake toy from who knows where and then gave a very compelling exclamation of shock. "SNAKE!"

That did the trick, for the instant the class was in chaos. The toy snake which Kaito bought from was VERY REALISTIC. The math teacher who was a young female gave a shrilling scream and raising the answer book that she was holding to smack the snake. In that instance, Kaito had a CLEAR view of the workings and answers. His keen eyes took a second to register all of it and commit it to memory.

"Takashi-sensei, it's a toy." He reverted to his cool Kudo voice and picked up the snack gently. "I don't know who's trick is it, but Takashi-sensei please calm down." Kaito used the soothing Kudo voice that he had heard him use to calm Ran. It did the trick and the class became orderly again. But what was done was done, Kaito had seen the answer and he remembered it PERFECTLY.

Picking at the chalk with grace and ease, he copied out exactly what he saw from his memory, not missing a single step and not missing a single number. Then he turned to smile at the class and Takashi-sensei. 'I'm done." he declared.

Takashi-sensei gave him a very surprised look. Kaito was somewhat surprised. Had he done it wrong? No way, he was absolutely certain he did it correctly, exactly as the answer book as shown.

"Err. Kudo-kun, I just wrote the question for 11 part a on the board and asked you to do it? How did you manage to do 11 part b too? I haven't even asked that question yet." Takashi-sensei asked, confused.

OPPS! Kaito racked his brains for an excuse. He had seen the correct answer but Takashi-sensei had only asked the first part and stupidly he had wrote out of the answer for the ENTIRE question.

"Er…" Kaito glanced worriedly at the 21 pairs of eyes looking at him with obvious wonder.

"I… deduced it." He said the first time that came to his mind. "Yeah. I deduced it." he repeated, trying to convince himself. "The flow of this question asking us to find this solution usually means that we are supposed to take this solution in part a to solve the equation and therefore I thought I could just… er… finish it up." Kaito said, giving the class a what he hoped to be a convincing grin.

'WOAH!" came the unified sound of awe and surprise. "Sugoi!"

'I'll be more careful next time." Kaito said mostly to himself but Takashi-sensei gave him a approving nod at that comment. Slightly embarrassed at making such an elementary mistake, 'Kudo' returned to his seat.

As he collapsed relieved back into Kudo's seat, he made a point to himself to attempt to listen to class more often. He couldn't possibly to using the snake trick every single time for every single question!

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><p>:D Yep. there's more EXCITEMENT TO COME. when Shinichi and Kaito confront each other in their <strong>Midnight talks<strong>. Let's see what they have to say about each other! XD

Shiroi Mi.


	7. Midnight Talks

Hello everyone! Well after their first day of life, the two of them have really GOT smth to say to each other xD Well here goes.

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><p>"mou tantei-kun! Your life sucks!" was the first time kaito wined into the phone at their agreed-upon daily midnight discussion.<p>

"I should say the same back to you. How can you be pranking the class EVERYDAY?" Kudo retorted back

"Hey! I didn't. I was pranking them…. About once every 2 days?" kaito said

"URG YOU!" Kudo was speechless at that.

"AND tantei-kun, how can you be taking ADVANCED HISTORY! Good gosh. I couldn't make heads or tails of what the jii-jii was saying! It was 2hours to pure torture." kaito said back.

"Hey. Don't insult history. It is very important in some cases to know background of places. There are more cases than I can count that is linked to history."

'Oh please! Talking about cases, does the press meet you everyday at your school gate? And what's with that Toutu financial whatever blackmail! It was hell trying to keep up with everyone's conversations about you and your cases."

"Toutu financial? Oh that one. My case files are in the library you can find them at the bottom right drawer."

"Oh wait a min, let me see if I can find it." Kaito answered back as he held the cordless phone to the library which tantei-kun had always sat and read. He located the drawer without any problem and pulled. "GOOD GOSH KUDO! How any case files are in here? There's got to be million!" Kaito exclaimed back into the phone. The drawer he had pulled out was 2 metres deep and filled to the brim with orderly brown case file notes.

"Oi! I like to keep things neat so I can refer to them later on."

"Please don't give you any more homework to do! I have got tons already. I can't possible memorize all this case files! And Ran was saying something about a police press conference. Good gosh! What am I going to say!" Kaito wined again.

"Well, those case notes are since I began doing detective in middle school. I think amongst those you just have to read the latest 30 or so. They are those that are marked with red tape."

"Goodness Kudo. There's got to be hundreds of them with red tape." Kaito said defeated. 'Plus I've got 3 essays due for HISTORY and a whole load of math." Kaito said the word math like it was had a particulate taste he disliked and hated.

"Hey. Hey. Those are real mind-stimulating." Kudo said back, snickering slightly at how he imaged Kaito to be. The invincible almighty thief defeated by school work, sullenly staring at the stack of homework.

"Anyway homework aside, how's your side?" Kaito asked back, curious to see how Kudo got along in his day. "Did you pull any pranks today?"

"WHAT? Pranks. No way. Of course not."

"Harh? Then wouldn't it be weird for me not to pull pranks?"

"Its ok. Chill kaito. I told the class that you had a change of heart."

'Why the hell would I do that?" Kaito demanded

"Mah. Maybe you grew up?" Kudo couldn't help but tease the desperate Kaito.

"Tantei-kun~" Kaito wined back, mortified at the thought of a NEAT and SMART kaito in Ekoda. The school must be in an uproar by now. (Which is partially true)

"Please Kudo. You're got to at least PULL 1 trick!"

"eh? I'm really not the one for tricks…" Hearing Kaito's depression, Kudo made appease.

"Alright Kaito, I'll try. I'll try." Kudo said with a sigh.

At that thought kaito brightened up immediately.

" I couldn't stand it today. I couldn't pull any pranks. My fingers were ITCHING!" Kaito complained.

"Well, the high school detective Kudo Shinichi, of course, won't pull a prank." Kudo said matter of factly.

"Well, if you don't pull a trick by end of this week. I'm gonna pull a prank as you, same excuse- change of heart." Kaito grinned at his childish blackmail. Talking with Kudo was definitely one of this favourite pasttime now.

"oi! OI" Kudo said alarmed. "I will. I will. Please don't pull a prank as Kudo Shinichi. I'll die of embarrassment!"

"heh? I'll consider." Kaito said toying with Shinichi and clearly enjoying himself.

"Oh really? How about I help you consider. Let say if you reject my _**kind consideration**_, how about I just waltz into the police office now and give your identity up!" Kudo blackmailed back.

"HEY! That's unfair!"

"Well who asked you to live a life of criminal?" Kudo snickered back, enjoying himself too in this game of tag.

"Mou Kudo-kun, if you ever come to the dark side, you'll make a good, exceedingly good blackmailer and agent." Kaito said off-handedly in a kidding tone although he really meant what he just said. "given your marksmanship with the gun, talents and observation. You could run an underground ring really."

Kudo frowned at that thought. "Well, for now I'll take that as a rather inappropriate compliment."

"whatever. Talking about crimes. Kaito Kid need to pull a heist soon!"

"oh go ahead. Your call?" Kudo said bored and suddenly very tired.

"My call? **You** need to do it!" Kaito said back.

"HARH? Are you suggesting that I, KUDO SHINICHI, go on the HEIST?" Kudo jumped up from his seat, alarmed.

"Hey. I need to go as you to some police case conference. It is naturally self-evident that YOU need to go on a HEIST as KAITO KID right?" Kaito said back, getting the upperhand of this spitfire exchange.

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><p>3 it myself. Hope you liked it too xD<p>

Well i wonder what Shinichi's gonna do abt the heist. XDDDD

Shiroi mi


	8. Planning a Crime

hai mina! This is shiroi Mi. Chapter: **Planning a ****crime** :D

Let's see how is Kudo planning a Kid heist.

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><p>'Kudo-kun, tell us more about this recent case. How did you find out the perpetrator?" some media guy asked.<p>

It was the dreaded press conference. Kaito had spent the night before cramming all the case notes. He appreciated Kudo being the detailed person and recorded the most minutest of details. BUT he hated him at the same time for making things such as hassle.

Kaito had woke up exceptionally early. He had spent the hour in front of the dressing mirror, spamming hard gel on his hair. Over the week he had explored all the kinds of available hair gel and found this particular brand to be the most successful. If he applied about 1kg about it, it will keep his hair down for about 5 hours. Enough for a press conference.

He had gotten somewhat used to Ran and his father, the hopeless tantei. After Shinichi had returned, Mouri's name had went down again. But the time as the famous Sleeping Kogoro had somewhat helped him and improved his tantei skills. So now, it was about a 50% hit and miss kind of thing for Mouri Kogoro. Kaito had taken liking to Hakase. Different from Shinichi, he had found Hakase's inventions interesting and the two of them had hit well together. Hakase didn't suspect a thing. Although he was more than surprised at the Kudo who was finally interested in his research, he didn't think of anything otherwise than a possible "change of heart".

"Ahem. About this latest case, the case was brought to me by the client Toutu-san, the director and owner of the famous Touto Financial Group. The blackmailer had…." Kaito ranted on. He had done his studies perfectly. Oh please, he had spent the last 2 horrid days of hell cramming the stuff into his head. And of course, the stuff that he couldn't remember, he had thought up of a brilliant but simple trick, the mirror trick. It's beauty was in its simplicity. Whenever he couldn't remember a particular detail all he had to do was to look at his foot which has a small piece of mirror showing at the side, with this mirror, he could read the case note that he had prepared and pasted beforehand underneath the table at which he was seated. The whole case note was there and by simply looking at his foot and at the mirror, he could read the whole thing without any problem.

Meanwhile, as Kaito was somewhat enjoying the press conference, Kudo was frustrated and depressed. He had spent a week learning a magic trick. Though he understood the principles of this silly card trick, his fingers wouldn't move as they were told. Plus he had no motivation for learning tricks. Magic tricks are just merely petty deception of the eye with fast fingers. But that's exactly the problem, he know the trick by heart already but somehow his body (correction Kaito's body) wouldn't react the way he wanted it to. It either over does it or under does it, sending the cards fluttering to the opposite end of the room and dropping dead as a sack at his foot. In both ways, it meant him standing up, walking over, bending down and picking the darn cards up.

Kudo sighed. He tossed himself onto the bed and curled over. Besides the trick, he still gotta plan a heist! Just thinking about him makes his head pound.

"DAMMIT. Come on. This is just stupid…." Kudo muttered the string of curses.

As Kudo practiced, he tuned in to the news channel which was broadcasting live the police press conference which Kaito was doing.

"As according to these points of suspicion, it came to me in that instant that the blackmailer is someone within the household because…." Kaito from the television sounded, confident and smooth talker. In Kudo's opinion being a little too melodrama.

"these information can only be obtained by members of the household." Kudo said boredly in unision with the Kaito from the television. The magician had really memorized his case note word for word without miss. Sighing as kaito from the television droned on, Kudo continued to practise his card trick.

The problem wasn't exactly the card trick. It was more of the heist. Well he had 'taken' things before, "borrowed" he corrected himself, from people to get clues to the cases but this time to take things without purpose but for the sheer need of it revolted Kudo.

Bitterly he said, 'that's what the idiom mean about don't judge the book by his cover. He and Kaito can look alike all they want but they are so totally DIFFERENT.'

The stealing part is just one thing, he could try to convince himself that he was going to return it later so it's fine right?...?...right?...Right?

Heaving another big sigh, Kudo covered his eyes and willed sleep to come, even though it was just 11am and he had only woken up some 2 hours ago. He just wanted sleep to take him away into the lala land and forget about all this like it was a bad dream.

When Kudo reopened his eyes, he saw the same blue ceiling that doesn't belong to his room and some overly soft bed that he was laying on that doesn't belong to his taste and a certain Kudo Shinichi talking from the television. Who was he kidding?

"Kaito? I'm going out. watch the house for me." Kaito's mom called from downstairs. Kudo poked his head out of the door and yelled back, "got it!"

Kudo switched off the television and went back to thinking about the heist. He definitely DID NOT WANT TO GET CAUGHT. Even if he was currently Kuroba Kaito, even if he by being caught will only tarnish Kuroba Kaito's name, he didn't want to experience prison. Really. Cos he wasn't really KID, he doesn't foresee himself able to pick locks out of prison. Shinichi shuddered, trying to get the image of iron bars out of his mind.

One thing he loved about life is freedom. His freedom. Which means the heist had to be PERFECT with all possibilities considered and planned out to the minutest details. He already know who was going to be his opponent: the loud mouthed Nakamori and the very very sharp Hakuba.

Nakamori was not the problem, more of Hakuba. To deceive him, he would need something really really good. Plus he's got a sinking feeling that Kaito is going to make things worse by appearing as Kudo Shinichi. Argh! Shinichi REALLY DIDN'T want to THINK about that. Just that thought alone sent shivers down his spine.

Shinichi has already decided on the target it was big jewel from London, apart from its apparent prettiness, it had no deep history attached so it should be easier than trying those BIG JEWELS that were family heirlooms or smth. This jewel is big enough to have invited KID should not be too big of a trouble.

But the thing is, Shinichi really had no idea WHERE TO START? How did Kaito planned his heists anyway? And where does he keep his costumes/handgliders/smokescreens and whatever not?

Kudo just sat on the bed thinking for a long long time.

That night, Kaito and Kudo had their usual midnight talk.

"Ne tantei-kun, how did my performance go?" Kaito asked cheerfully. He was positively aglow with delight at having complete mastered the content of the case file. Truth to be told, he had enjoyed reading Shinichi's case file. It was detailed and like a story.

"Performance?"Kudo asked back. "Ah. You mean the press conference? Sorry I didn't watch."

"EHHHH? WHY NOT?" Kaito asked back, hurt.

"Oh. _A big sigh__**. **_It's your heist." Kudo replied back truthfully.

"AH~ my heist. How is it coming along?"

"Not well at all. Totally not well at all. Haven't you got any samples I can use as template or smth?"

"Not really. I don't keep detail accounts of my jobs. Mostly I plan in my head and execute."

"oh best. Just what I needed to hear." Kudo sulked.

"Hey tantei-kun. Just think of it as an act. I heard you are quite the drama actor in school. The Teitan Drama Productions had asked you to perform again."

"Heh? So you accepted?"

"Of course! It's a drama! I think it's a romance. The princess's gonna be Ran."

"Oh." Kudo shrugged.

"Hey, arent you worried that I may still your girlfriend?" Kaito teased.

"Well, no. for a fact, I know you won't. you won't dare to anyway."

"True. But she a real good girl." Kaito said, thinking back to his past few days interaction with Ran. He had enjoyed her company and to some extent Sonoko's too. Sonoko is a true friend kaito could tell.

"Back to the main topic Kudo. Don't tell me you are going to admit defeat to this?" Kaito asked, challenging kudo.

"Of course not. But that doesn't mean I will enjoy it."

"True. True. Anyway, if you need some inspirations I suggest you look at my father."

"your father? Oh you mean the portrait."

"YEP! That's the biggest hint I'm gonna tell you tantei-kun." kaito smirked.

"Alright. Whatever. I'm really tired. Let's end it here tonight." Kudo said back honestly. His eyes were closing. After a quick goodbye, both hung up the phone and Kudo collapsed into bed.

In the Kudo mansion however, Kaito was worried. Shinichi hadn't sound energetic. Well the thought of teasing and pushing tantei-kun to do a heist had been fun but now watching him (or rather listening to him) suffer wasn't. kaito wonder if he should just confess the truth that Jii could handle the next few heists and leave Kudo out of the mess after all he did save his life…

". What am I thinking?" Kaito chided himself. "once Kudo accepts a case, he wouldn't give up halfway. To ask him to give up would be an insult."

Still Kaito worried, as he lay on Shinichi's bed thinking, he decided to help Shinichi out subtly in whatever way possible.

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><p>Isn't the last part just so sweet of Kaito? 3 Anyway, the heist arc will take up some chapters so yep. After this arc, the spotlight will return to kaito, so be patient :D<p>

HAPPY 2012! Shiroi Mi.

Thank you for review and please review if you feel like it :D


	9. Murder and Discovery

Hello all readers! Apologies for the slightly late publication. was down by stomach flu T_T. anyway here's the next chapter, the one i 3333 so much too especially the Aoko and Kudo part. XD Well here goes: **MURDER & DISCOVERY**

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><p>"inspirations from Tochiba Kaito?" Kudo frowned. "In Kaito's room, the only thing related to Tochiba Kaito that kudo could 'look to' was the portrait.<p>

"Oi. Oi. Masaka (please don't say) Kaito wanted him to stare at the portrait until an idea came right?" Kudo muttered incomprehensively to himself. He felt like a stalker staring at some guy's face for such a long time. Kudo was POSITIVE that the toichi Kuroba in the picture had winked at him. Seriously~

It was Monday again and being Monday means going to school. On the bright side since Kaito was supposedly an average kid at school, definitely not dumb but not exactly the brightest star either, so Kudo waltzed through the homework with ease. He had spent the most of the weekend however, pounding on the problem of the heist.

"Ne kaito!" Aoko called, getting use to the neater and more self-retrained Kaito.

Kudo turned to face her presenting the latest card trick that he had learn with a flourish of his hands. Aoko was impressed by the trick. Although it was an easy trick, Kudo had done it perfectly without extra or jerky movement, if there is one word to describe it, it would be a very 'clean' magic trick.

The class had gotten used to the new Kaito and people began to approach him, drawn by the same mysterious charisma like the Kudo Shinichi those days back in Teitan. Kudo had kept his promise to kaito, doing magic tricks almost daily now since he had mastered a few simple tricks and found himself intrigued by the concept of each trick and the psychology behind. he even came up with his own variations that he was pleased with.

Returning back to Kudo's walk to school with Aoko.

"these days you seem really out of it, are you not feeling well?" Aoko asked, concerned and much more reserved than the days before where she was chasing kaito almost every minute of the day with her mop or whatever that could substitute for the mop at hand.

"Just a bit." Kudo replied honestly although he obviously didn't mention anything about a heist.

Aoko was even more concerned at that ambiguous sentence and continued on, "This Sunday, wanna catch a movie together or something?"

"Movie…?'

For some reason Kudo couldn't understand, he had agreed. Maybe it was because he just wanted to get out of the house for a while and away from the problem of the heist and a certain life-size portrait of a stranger staring at him everyday.

~~~~~ Teitan~~~~

"ne. Don't you thing upperclassman Kudo had gotten a lot more approachable and friendly these days?"

"Yeah! I know right. He was always that cool and avoid me type but now he totally different!"

"Oh what should I do? I think I'm falling for him~"

"Heh? No way. He's mine!"

"Okok. COMPROMISE. We share kay?"

In a corner of the school compound a group of girls whispered amongst themselves. In their line of sight about 40 yards away was the said upperclassman Kudo sitting with Mouri Ran and Sonoko under the tree. Kudo was laughing at something Sonoko had said. His hair was more tame but still a mess (despite Kaito's persistent effort to pin it down). A small group of girls walked past and asked to join them, 'Kudo' had gave them a very welcoming smile and made space for them to join them.

It soon became a crowd of joy and laughter.

Kaito at first thought he would die out of boredom since he couldn't do magic tricks as and when he wanted as Kudo Shinichi but soon discovered a different joy from being around more friends than ever. Since he wasn't pranking anyone anymore as Kudo Shinichi, he discovered a different kind of friendship, a close and open kind where you are respected and welcomed, where your words are heeded and listened to, where teachers respect you and gave you slight leeways because you are exemplary. It was different but Kaito loved it nonetheless.

~~~~Ekoda~~~~~~

"kaito recently really changed so much." A teacher commented during one the water breaks

"I agree! He's giving off a different vibe around him."

"Totally! Well he's still into magic and stuff but he properly separating his magic from his work. Really dependable."

The buzz about the revamped Kaito remained a hot topic in Ekoda.

To keep up with Katio's persona, Kudo had adapted himself to be more out-going and welcoming to people. As Kudo, he would have avoided unnecessary relationships such as friendships beyond the classroom and making troublesome decisions such as going out of the way to do a magic trick or to please someone but as Kaito, such activities were forced on him. It had been hard on him at first because he wasn't a natural actor and it was against his natural tendencies but as time went by, he slowly adjusted and got used to doing extra favors, teasing magic tricks and little jokes along the way. Well he sort of liked it a bit now… just at teeeeeny weeeeny bit. Plus being in kaito's body had one good thing, even if his brain was new to the concept of tricks and deception, Kaito's body was used to it. His body had picked up tricks easily as if it remembers from long ago when he was under Kaito's control.

Being Kaito also meant staying away from cases and police work… well at least when someone else can see him, because Kaito wasn't interested in those type of stuff. Kudo had found it the hardest to move away from a case when he saw it. Truthfully he never knew he was this much 'addicted' to cases. Although that never stopped him from making anonymous tips to the police.

While they might have looked alike, the two of them were as different as day and night. Kaito the more outgoing, excitable and open type while Kudo was the more closed, minding own business and serious type.

So the Kudo version of Kaito was a much watered down version. Regardless of what that did for Kaito's image, Kudo himself was changing in subtle ways he didn't notice himself.

Kudo dragged his feet to the Sunday date he had promised Aoko. Aoko recently had gotten a lot of shy and demure around the new Kaito. Her feelings were still a jumble from the sudden change but it wasn't that she didn't like this Kaito. In a way, he had become a lot more cool. But the change was kind of hard to take in.

"KAITO!" Aoko called as she spied the sleepy person walking towards her.

'oh. Hi Aoko!" Kudo replied in a relaxed manner, pasting a grin on his face. With a flourish of his hand and a deceiving pull from his hat, he launched a dove into the sky as his opening magic. Well Kudo didn't really care for that little magic, to be honest, he had been practicing the pull-stuff-out-of-your-hat trick (as practice for pull KID costume out of hat trick) and found the dove hard to control. It had cooed away into the night costing him his precious sleep! So he thought he should do the magic quickly and get rid of the dove.

Good riddance. Kudo thought to himself as he watched the dove fly away.

The two of them walked to the theater and settled themselves into the seats of the cinema, preparing for the movie that Kudo didn't really care about. It was apparently some kind of contemporary romance between a sailor and a girl on land. After the movie, as the lights brightened and Kudo reused the old rose trick by Kaito to pull out a piece of tissue for aoko to wipe her tears, a sudden scream stunned all the audience.

A lady in her late 30s had screamed and collapsed onto the floor. Her face was fast draining of colours as she pointed a shaky finger at the male who was still seated in the audience seat, head hung low as if no muscles were working. Yes, as if he was dead.

Kudo reacted instinctively. He leapt easily over the row of chairs that obstructed his path and urgently checked for life sign. After a few seconds, he shook his head. The man was already dead.

By then the security had rushed in and Kudo instructed all of them to guard the doors and let no one leave. The man have been poisoned by the cola he was drinking. Kudo could smell the distinctive almond smell.

"This is a murder." He said aloud. The crowd gasped in shock. Some of the ladies almost fainted.

"Aoko, call the police." Kudo said aloud. When aoko didn't respond, he repeated again. "aoko, call the police now." Kudo turned to look at Aoko. She was immobilized from fear. Kudo sighed inwardly. He suddenly wished very much that it was Ran there now. Ran wouldn't have lost her composure so much. She would have recovered and called the police even before he asked her too.

Well, this was to be expected for Aoko since she wasn't used to seeing dead bodies and murder cases.

Slightly irked and frustrated, Kudo flipped open his cell phone and called the police himself. This was an easy murder case. The culprit had been the person who were sitting behind this male directly.

"kaito~~" came the weak voice of Aoko. She was still frozen with fear and trembling. 'kaito~~~" she begged.

Kudo had wanted to wait until the police comes to get them started in the right direction. Because if they acted fast, they could apprehend the culprit at that moment because he/she is still in the room. But Aoko was nearing her limits and needed kaito by her side. Kudo tore himself away from the scene and moved back to Aoko. Well, he could always put in an anonymous tip again later on.

Kudo gently guided the terror-stricken Aoko to another room to rest. He poured her a hot drink which helped her greatly to calm her nerves.

As colour refilled Aoko's cheek, Kudo did one of his latest magic trick to cheer her up. It worked like a charm. Soon Aoko was feeling much better, good enough to allow him to leave her side for a while as he dropped the anonymous tip in the form of a fax to the police department.

Then he went back to Aoko. 'Ne kaito. How long more do you think we have to stay here?"

"I'm sure we'll be free to leave after the police gets our statement." Kudo said back reassuringly. As he said, one of the policemen soon came to take their statements and afterwhich they were free to go.

As they were on their way to the front door, one of the theater clerks stopped them. "The main door is full of the press for now. If would be wiser to leave by the back door. You know the big poster? The one that shows the MIRROR AND I movie? Behind the poster, there is a door. It leads to the back door."

"Thank you." Kudo said as he ushered and supported Aoko towards the said poster. As informed, he found the door behind the poster and entered. This suddenly gave him an idea. This poster and door concept. Could it be that the Toichi portrait had a similar trick to it? Kaito did tell him to focus on the portrait…

Suddenly excited, Kudo was desperate to get back to Kaito's room to try out this new knowledge. He quickly saw aoko home and went back to Kaito's home asap.

Once in the house, he locked himself into Kaito's room and fingered around the portrait. True to his suspicion, he found the wall behind to be hollow, which only means 1 thing- a door. Giving it a gentle but firm push, the portrait door opened on it hinges, spinning to reveal the back of the portrait, a full portrait of KID.

Kudo raised an eyebrow. So Toichi Kuroba was the first KID and Kaito the second. Well, that's a surprise. But what was more surprising was the things that were behind the hidden door. As kudo entered, he could see rows and rows of neatly pressed Kid uniform. On his right was the work bench, most probably where Kaito and possible his father planned the heists. In the room was also a wardrobe which Kudo regretted opening, because once he opened, the things inside had all fell out, almost burying him underneath it. It was a wardrobe full of magic tools.

Kudo dusted himself as he managed to fit everything back into the wardrobe and shut it tightly, almost expecting it to pop open again. But it didn't. he walked to the table. The table had drawers. Curiously he opened them.

Well, to his surprise and pleasure, he spotted a few folders of notes on some heists, dating wayyy back before he was born. Most probably these notes were made by the neater and more organized Kuroba Toichi. He sat down and opened the first one he saw.

As he mulled over the notes, he was impressed. Each heist had been planned out, research so well that even the minutest detail was noted and recorded. From the layout, to the security, to escape, to even weather. For each heist, various scenarios were also planned out depending on what happened at the moment. He spent the rest of the day mulling over these and feeling more and more confident that he could possibly pull off a passable heist with these information.

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><p>Thanks for reading! next chapter will be <strong>Midnight Talk 2<strong> xDDD where Kudo and Kaito cover a certain very important aspect of the body: flexibility xD

Shiroi Mi


	10. Midnight Talks 2

Hey all, here the next chapt. well a little short this time around XD

**Midnight Talk 2**

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><p>"I have been wanting to say this for very long Kudo, you may be the best detective but your body is really stiff." Kaito complained. Kaito had tried to dodge dodgeball during PE and had stumbled. He the KAITOU KID HAD STUMBLED. It was down right embarrassing. Well true enough that Kaito was dodging the balls in a very unconventional way but… that's amount of flexibility ought to be a given right?<p>

"well, I don't recall it being so stiff that it affects anything, Kaito." Shinichi said back.

"Hmph. You don't know. You are being in MY body now. Doesn't it feel loose and relaxed?" Kaito said back.

"well, not especially." Then Kudo recalled how easily he had picked up tricks later on as he went. "ok maybe." He added honestly after a moment's pause.

"See. You need to stretch your body more!" Kaito said as he positively opened his legs in a attempt to split only to find jabbing pain in the muscles.

"You can't even do a split!" kaito complained into the phone.

"OI! OI! Treat it with care!" Kudo replied alarmed, sensing what Kaito's doing over the phone.

"I am." kaito replied. "Also, please please stretch my body too. I don't want my body stiff and cranky when I get it back."

'eh? Stretch? Like how?"

"Well the usual you know, stretching before exercise thing? Maybe add in a few splits and stuff." kaito replied as a matter of factly.

"SPLIT?" Kudo asked, mortified. He had never contemplated in his life doing a split.

"Yeah split. Which part of it do you not understand tantei-kun. You stretch one leg in front and the other behind." Kaito explained in a sing-song voice.

"Ehhhhh…" Kudo replied doubtfully. Is that even humanly possible? Kudo thought to himself. Still he decided to give it a try, after some simple warming up, he tried a split and it worked!

"WOAH!" Kudo exclaimed as he maintained his split. It was almost painless.

Kaito somehow also sensed what Kudo was doing and replied with a smug, "I told you so. Well, you should stretch often and stuff. That body is important in helping you get out of tight spots as Kid." Kaito added with a proud smirk.

"So how's the heist coming along? Don't forget to send your invitation cards." kaito chided.

"yes. Yes. I just found the room."

"Oh the KID room? I knew you would find it." Kaito said proudly.

"Well yeah. At least your father made notes. They are pretty helpful." Kudo said as he looked at one of the set of notes on the table.

"That's how I started too." Kaito said. "I got past the notes thing quickly though. Making notes isn't the type of thing for me."

"I can see why." Kudo added thoughtfully.

"Well, for your information. There is a saying that is passed down from my father and you'll hear it a lot from Jii also. Keep your Poker Face."

"Oh that. You've said it before. Who's Jii anyway?"

"You haven't met him yet? Gosh tantei-kun, I thought with your deductions and stuff you would have reached there already!" Kaito said in shock.

"well some things happened today. A murder case and stuff. I only managed to get to the room and the notes a few hours ago." Kudo defended himself.

"Really tantei-kun, even as me, the cases still follow you around don't they?" Kaito teased.

"Hey don't be so accusatory! I'm not the one causing them." Kudo said back in a half whine. Then turning serious, he added, "Aoko seemed pretty upset by it though."

"Oh Aoko." Kaito repeated and a thoughtful moment of silence ensued.

"I'm sure she'll be fine. She's quite a tough girl really." Kaito added.

"I know. She really likes you huh?" Kudo said back.

"Same goes for Ran. But somehow I'm sensing that she is picking up vibes that I am not really you." Kaito said.

"I think Aoko too. We may need to someday let them into our secret…" Kudo muttered.

"Well when the day comes, the day comes. Nothing we can do about it now." kaito said in a cheerful tone. Then changing the subject he added, "About the heist, keep me in touch kay?"

"I know. Stop reminding me already." Kudo replied back jokingly. "How's your side?"

'Me as you? Well going fine I guess. I'm getting used to the press and the police being around me. But I need to stick my nose to where it doesn't belong soon or I'll seem suspicious." Kaito added in a light tone.

"HEY! Don't call it sticking your nose into where it doesn't belong!" Kudo replied defiantly.

"Just kidding. Just kidding. But I'm still adjusting to having the police loitering around me. It's awfully skin-pricking."

"Well that's just because you've got a past to hide.' Kudo chided back. "Well I still need to keep some brain cells alive for planning out your heist. Well, do your best and take care of Ran ok?"

" got it. Ja." Kaito said as the two of them put down the phone.

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><p>Thanks for reading :D well Kudo's on this way planning the heist already but does it mean Kaito is going have a SMOOTH SAILING LIFE FROM NOW ON? I highly doubt so...<p>

**Next chapter: Shin-chan!**

Shiroi Mi


	11. Mothers and heists

CHAPTER: MOTHERS AND HEISTS

Kudo spent a day at home down with flu. It wasn't the most comfortable situation to be in but it was advantageous nevertheless. Being down with flu meant that he could spent the whole day in the KID room and doing up his heist notes.

After swallowing hastily the medicine that Kaito's mom had brought up (much to the surprise of Kaito's mom), he shut himself in the Kid room. Taking out a sample heist note, Kudo used it as a template to plan his own. He also found a computer in the KID room. It was a unique make that he had never seen before and is very basic with almost no software installed at all.

Once Kudo set it running, he knew this was an untraceable computer. Most of the usual softwares that a sold computer comes with are removed and may unique programs that blocks tracing, cookie and other stuff are used. There was no interface whatsoever and it runs on computer language.

Kudo was familiar with such computers. All these modifications were made to make this computer completely untraceable and secure.

In a matter of 1 hour, Kudo had successfully 'hacked' into the company that designed the museum at which the jewel was stored. No, not hacked, he had 'accessed' the data.

Earlier he retrieved the printout and set to work to understand the layout and the various security installments. It took him half a day to get all the information down and organized into his own heist file.

Even though Kudo hadn't announced the heist yet, the security was already tight and up to date. He knew that once he announced the heist, the security is all the more going to get tighter with helicopters and police patrols.

He need to anticipate this and prepare ahead of it.

Kudo worked seriously. He planned and planned to the minutest detail. About halfway through however, he realized how impossible the situation seemed, the security, the guards, the anticipated helicopters and taskforce. But Kudo was not the type who gets defeated by difficulties, he loved being challenged.

The more difficult it became, the more Kudo got into it. Soon he wasn't working out of the need of doing the heist, but out of the desire and drive to surpass the challenge and conquer it. Outsmart the taskforce...

While he was concentrating and lost in his own calculations and world, Kaito's mom peeked into the room. She had been surprised at the lack of noise and was wondering if kaito was asleep.

But what she saw surprised her. Her Kaito was mulling in the Kid room, writing and thinking, planning for the next heist. Usually Kaito wasn't so detailed and intense in his efforts, he had always depended on his quick thinking and last minute decisions to get him by which is the cause of his heists always being such a taxing worry on her. His carefree, oh-I'm-sure-it's-ok attitude had sent she and Jii twitching in their seats every time Kaito went on a heist.

Even though he had returned everytime successful, there were too many a time where he returned in less than perfect form with scratches and injuries that no one, except the two of them knew. It had pained her.

She had nagged at Kaito, again and again to be MORE CAREFUL to PLAN, TO THINK THROUGH but Kaito had always laughed and shrugged it off.

Kaito had never invited her into any of his planning processes. Whenever she entered the room, Kaito was always seem to be just playing, pranking and slacking. This was the first time Kaito's mom had seen his son in the process of planning and the sight of him working so had at it touched her heart deeply.

She had been so sure that Kaito never planned but now, looking at his son's deep concentration at work. She was pleased. Gently she laid the cookies and milk that she had brought up as snack to kaito on the table and closed the door silently.

Kudo didn't notice Kaito's mom's entry and exit. He was so intensely focused that he was aware of nothing except the task at hand. By the time the clock downstairs struck 6pm, he was nearly down with his draft plans for the heist. Kudo stretched and stood up.

He left the notes and research in the room and left the KID room through the portrait. As he sat down on kaito's normal table again, he was surprised at the cookies and milk on the table.

Once again, he is stuck by the suddenness and the motherly actions of Kaito's mom. As he ate the cookie and drank the milk (though he would have preferred coffee), he was suddenly reminiscing about the times when he was still a young child and his parents were still around. For so long he had been alone, for so long he had had his freedom, he was still trying to adapt to the motherly figure in the house. The thoughts of his own parents left him in an unusual mood, an emotion he had long forgotten, the need for someone to love him.

After a few moments, Kudo chided himself for being moppy like some soap drama and turned his thoughts away from parents and love. He had finished the cookies and milk and was about to head downstairs to return the plates and cup when the phone rang. Not Kaito's handphone, nor the house phone but the ear-ring phone (now changed to become a handphone) rang.

This phone was used by him and Kaito during their midnight talks because this phone was untraceable and so was the desk phone in the library at the Kudo mansion which Kid always use.

Kudo was surprised at the off-timing of the call. Only Kaito would use this line and only during their appointed midnight talks but it was still early in the evening.

Kudo dropped the plates back onto the table and picked it up after the 4th ring.

'SHIN-CHAN!" came the voice of his mother, in the usual half-wail voice.

'er. Mom?" Kudo asked tentatively surprised at the call. He was half-convinced that it was Kaito pulling a fast one on him but his brain, after processing all scenarios and possibilities found no acceptable reason why Kaito would do so.

"Mou shin-chan!" Yukiko was positively wailing and crying now.

"calm down! What happened?" He said. His parents were supposed to be somewhere in the West, more likely cruising down the river Nile than calling him from the Kudo mansion which they are doing now. Kudo walked to the portrait door and once again opened it.

To be safe from eavesdropping, he knew that the KID room would be about the most secure place to be.

"Well, Yukiko and I decided to pop by a visit. Well for the past few days Yukiko had been complaining of a ache in her waist that meant something's happening to you. So she made me take a few days off our planned vacation in Hawaii to come back." Yuusaku said. Apparently, Yukiko had handed the phone to Yuusaku to explain.

"And then?"

"Well, we got in the house alright. Er. The boy here opened the door." Yuusaku explained hesitantly as if unsure how to describe the scene he was seeing.

"Uh huh."

"yeah. Er. Well… So…" Yuusaku seemed to be searching for the correct words to continue. "Well he looked like you Shinichi."

"I know that much." Kudo replied matter of factly.

"well, by Yukiko insisted it wasn't you." Yuusaku continued.

"Women's instincts!" came Yukiko's shout from somewhere beside Yuusaku into the mouthpiece of the phone.

"And so?"

"Well, Yukiko arh… sort of went… a little mad at the lie (read: very very very mad) and gave the imposter a straight fist to the face." Yuusaku finished.

At present, the two parents of Kudo stood in the library talking to their son Kudo on the line. Kaito, who had opened the door expecting Ran or some classmate, was lying a few feet from there, with stars dancing around his eyes.

Kudo tried to picture the scene. He knew that his mom's punches wasn't something to be reckoned with, especially when she's mad.

"O...k…" Kudo said tentatively. 'So what's up with the phone call?" It wasn't logical that Kaito, the Kaito KID, would have given away anything that seemed not to belong to Kudo Shinichi persona.

"er. Yukiko sort of brought one of her dramas to live. You know the some where she acted as a terrorist and ahem… tortured her victim into speaking. Yeah, that one…" Yuusaku continued.

Kudo eyes widen. That drama was a great hit but was rated M18 because of the ahem… violence involved.

"Anyway, the guy here whom I still don't know the name of, pointed to his telephone and gave us this number." Yuusaku said. "he's still unconscious now. Yukiko finished him with a knee to chin attack after he finished saying the number"

"oh…(silent: shit)" was all Kudo could say to that.

"So what's the story? Where is someone pretending to be like you in your house?" Yuusaku finally asked to the point.

Kudo racked his brains for something to say. He hadn't expect the secret to be exposed so quickly and he need a reason quick, a convincing reason to ward his parents off.

_Flashback_

_"If anyone discovers the secret, by oath which you have taken in order to save both your lives, both your lives will instantly be forfeited." _

"I'm on a pretty serious case." Shinichi said hastily. The first passable reason that came to his mind.

"Well that guy on the floor is Kaito. Arh he's a magician. You see. So I asked him to impersonate me for a while so that I can nab these guys." Kudo finished.

"Ah double trail right?" Yuusaku nodded approving.

[Double trail is a technique of nabbing people by having them trail 1 fake target first, but in turn be trailed by another to take them down]

"Ah yes. Yes exactly. So I need you all to treat him like me as much as possible. I really can't speak about the case now. You know, the confidentiality thing. My client is quite the pesky one."

"Oh I see. Well I'll explain to Yukiko when she's calmed down a bit. Well then. I wish you best of luck with your case." Yuusaku finished as he put down the phone.

Shinichi also hang up his side of the line and stared at the dead phone. Good gosh! That was one unexpected, really unexpected turn of events. He was glad he managed to pull through it somehow.

He stepped out of the KID room and continued downstairs with the dishes. As he walked down, he did feel a little sympathetic to Kaito. But well, no use crying over spilt milk.


	12. Horror editors

Hello it's Shiroi Mi with the next intallemnt: HORROR EDiTORS

Please enjoy

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><p>"Save me!" was Kaito's first line he said at their usual midnight talk time.<p>

"so even the great magician of the silver sky can't handle parents?" Kudo mocked.

"No. I'm going to die young if they are going to be here any longer!" Kaito wined. "please…"

"Well I did tell them to treat you like me so is there a problem?"

"YES! The woman keep calling me "shin-chan"" Kaito said giving a perfect imitation of Yukiko's Shin-chan. "It makes my hair stand, figuratively speaking." _Since it cant, given the amount gel I spammed on it, _secretly thought Kaito.

Kudo laughed.

"Oi. That's not funny." Kaito insisted in a pout.

"It's ok. They never stay long anyway." Kudo said, brushing the problem aside.

"Well, thank goodness for that. That woman…... is damn strong." Kaito added, rubbing his sore spot like a kitten that got an injury. "and scary." He added as he remembered the sudden change from bizarre and crazy to the hair-raising, sticking figure that she changed after Kudo-san told her about whatever Shinichi had told him over the phone.

"well just leave them alone and they'll be gone soon enough, maybe even tomorrow." Shinichi continued.

True to his word, the very next day Kaito was even more shocked that the Kudo parents had really left. Not really about the fact that they left but more at the fact at HOW they left.

Very very early in the morning, Kaito was awoken by a sense of tension and malice near the Kudo mansion. He was a light sleeper and was trained in sensing before seeing. So he leapt out of bed silently and peeped through the crack of the door. The kudo mansion was dark. It was only 4.40am.

The master bedroom which Yuusaku and Yukiko were resting was silent. The whole mansion seemed to be still at sleep. Kaito sneaked out of Shinichi's room and hid himself behind a pillar near the front door.

There were people outside the door. Strange people…

Just as kaito was going to peep at the door, the door itself flung open under a shattering crack and a hoard of haphazard males in business suits rushed in, yelling in loud voice, "KUDO YUUUSAKU~~~" As if they were going to have a fight with him something.

Kaito instinctively shrank even further into the shadow, wondering what on earth were they here for.

The tall males continued yelling his name "KUDO YUUSAKU~" in various pitches and the 10 or so of them went about and flung open every door until they found the master bedroom.

"KUDO-SENSEI!" the first male who opened the correct door yelled in recognition of the two figures on the bed, sitting up and rubbing their eyes warily. In a matter of seconds all the tall males, mostly not even Japanese, cramped into the bedroom.

"Please your manuscript! Stop taking random breaks without informing your editors!" they began to say loudly, almost pleadingly. 10 and more loud voices spoke at the same time creating quite a din. After a period of trying to discern the words they were saying and what they wanted, Kaito finally realized that they were Kudo Yuusaku's editors. Although they look more like a mafia gang.

"Madam! Please. We need to return to the United States. The manuscript! sensei!" They continued pestering.

And in that manner, surrounded by tough American guys the Kudo couple was hustled out of their mansion and into the very next flight. Despite Yukiko's resistance (read: loud, high-pitched wailing) of staying until they met Shinichi… the Kudo couple was brought under heavy surveillance back to the US, still in their pajamas.

And so…they left.

Just when Kaito thought everything was finally going to settle down somewhat as he got more comfortable in the role of Shinichi, an unexpected letter came to the Kudo mailbox. An envelope in unblemished white addressed to Kudo Shinichi - sama in a writing that was very familiar to him...

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><p>Thank you for reading! White letter ne? Anyone knows what happening? Yep that's right!<p>

Shiroi Mi 3


	13. Prelude to First Heist

Here is the next chapter where Kudo finally plans his first ever heist: **Prelude to first heist**

Let the suspense build! Target is revealed. How is Kaito coping? How is Kudo going to pull this off?

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><p>"yesterday the police HQ at Beika received a Kid notice. This time the target is a BIG jewel that was rather recently was bought by the Tomoro Cooperation of the Beika Museum of European Art."<p>

The news of the next KID heist hit the headlines within hours and the morning newspapers were completely engrossed and going gaga over it. The morning news channel was also going on and on on nothing else except this upcoming heist.

First page of the mainstream newspaper read:

"UPCOMING KID HEIST: SAPPHIRE STONE ON DISPLAY AT BEIKA EUROPEAN MUSEUM"

Yesterday at 10.45pm, the police HQ in Beika Chou received by fax a notice from the infamous Kaitou Kid announcing the next bold heist of the sapphire stone currently on display at the Beika Museum of European Art. The sapphire is said to be one of the best artisan craft by the late Mr. Finase Hugh. The stone was recently bought over by Tomoro Cooperation that owns the said museum where it is on display for public gallery."

Below the paragraph was a picture of the Kid heist notification together with the picture of the jewel.

* * *

><p>'Under the starlit evening of the creator's birth,<p>

The glimmer of blue echoes its longing,

For the warmth that no longer caress its chill

A memory.

Kaitou Kid'

* * *

><p>"Ne Shinichi?" Ran's voice interrupted kaito's musing over the newspaper.<p>

"Hmm?" Kaito replied with his mouth full of bread. He looked up from the morning newspaper to see a rather shy and hesitant Ran which set off all alarm bells in his head.

"Urm." She began, looking away and avoiding eye contact. "This heist. Will you be going?" a tinge of red blush crept up her face.

"I…" Kaito paused.

Kaito knew that Ran was still hung up over the last heist where Kudo and him got into a rather bad mess. The two days when the two of them were missing, Ran almost had a breakdown. As a result of that, Kaito, in the place of Kudo, got an earful of heated lectures by the Mouri detective. It would have been easy for Kaito to trick his way out of it but seeing the genuine and sincere concern that was on the Mouri detective's face at the moment, he couldn't bring himself to do anything and just sat there solemnly for the duration.

Of course that doesn't mean he was reflecting since it wasn't his fault in the first place.

But now he was 'Kudo' and unlike 'Kaito' who was a prankster, always joking around, carefree and without responsibility, 'Kudo' shouldered pretty heavy responsibilities and had deep ties with people. People depended on Kudo just like how Mouri detective trust Kudo to keep safe his daughter all the time. Even if he doesn't show it, Kaito could read into his body language like an open book. Similarly with Hakase as well as all this classmates and teachers.

"I.." Kaito repeated, standing up from the sofa seat and walked to Ran.

Gently he placed his hands on Ran's shoulders. Ran, upon touch, looked up into Kaito or rather 'Kudo's' eyes. Kaito's heart gave an uncontrollable jerk with his eyes met the blurry and almost tearing eyes of Mouri's. He swallowed and kept his Kudo demeanor.

"I'll be fine Ran. Trust me?" He said softly.

At that for some reason, Ran burst into tears and leaned in onto his shoulders. Kaito froze. What was he supposed to do in this situation?

"Itzumo…always… always… you tell me that line. Do you know how hard it is waiting and waiting?" Ran sniffed. "without knowing anything? I… I…"

Kaito tightened his hug reassuringly but he didn't know what to say. Kaito knew Kudo had been involved in some syndicate, a rather big one and had brought it down recently. But the consequence of that was that he was 'missing' for over half a year, missing most of school (although that wasn't really important) but leaving behind people like Ran. When he finally returned and Conan went 'overseas', Shinichi still hadn't told anyone about this alterego identity of Edogawa Conan.

The reason was simple. In the emptiness of Shinichi, it was Conan who had administered comfort to Ran and remained by her side. Ran had depended on Conan emotionally to get by and Shinichi didn't want to tell Ran that Conan is also a hoax, a fake, a persona which he played. The time Conan had spent with Ran had already caused a deep relationship to be built between Conan and Ran in place of Shinichi and Ran. The two were not the same and it can't be so easily handled as 'yeah Conan was me and I am Shinichi.' Furthermore, the kids that knew Conan would also be affected.

At least now they can find reassurance and hope that Conan was still somewhere out in this big big world and they can meet again. Destroying Conan will just hurt more people.

Ran pulled away from Kaito and wiped her tears dry embarrassedly.

"Sorry Shinichi. This is rather embarrassing. Give me a while and I'll be back to normal." She said, sniffing forcing a brave smile.

"There's nothing embarrassing about this Ran." Kaito said without thinking, his emotions overcoming his thoughts. "It's ok to cry. I won't disappear like that again. I'll stay by you."

"Ohayo Kuroba-kun." came the chorus of the two female classmates that just entered the classroom.

"Ohayou Mio-san and Rayna-san." Kudo replied looking over the newspaper that he held in his hands.

Things in Ekoda had somewhat settled down after the 'change of heart' Kaito. The class dynamics have reached a new kind of equilibrium one that didn't involve Kaito pranking the class everyday.

"Keeping in tab the police? Hmm Kaito KID-san?" came a husky voice from behind in a semi-whisper - Hakuba.

"Hai. Hai Whatever you say Ha-Ku-Ba." Kudo replied in one of the standard 'reply-to-Hakuba-accusation' 1000 compiled lines. Turning around to face the brown haired detective, Kudo pulled a clown face and turned back to the newspaper.

Even though he had down his preparations, sending out the cards and watching the world around him get hooked onto the idea of the new heist was nerve-wrecking.

He had never been on this side of a KID heist before. And needless to say, he was worried. Period.

A thief and a detective was vastly different. A detective receives information and piece them together to make sense of it but a thief like Kid creates information and make sense from nothing. A thief is chased and a detective does the chasing.

So far everything was progressing as according to his calculated scenario. He had sent out the cards yesterday, making sure to leave no prints, not detectable traces back to him and of course, a private letter to his supposed "favourite tantei-kun". Kudo wonder what Kaito was going to say at the midnight talk tonight. Kudo gave an uncharacteristic chuckle. He was looking forward to tonight.

"That thief is hidoi (awful) right? That sapphire belongs to the museum and to everybody! What right does he had to take it away?" came the only female opposer to Kid in class.

The morning conversation had been nothing but the heist with excited whispers in the class, only Aoko took a different stand. Kaito had warned Kudo about Aoko and her father. As a thief, Kudo could imagine the dread in facing Aoko whenever a heist is announced but as a detective, Kudo sympathesize with Aoko.

Aoko was the sole voice of disapproval in the class and every one else just ignored her and continued their excited whispers about the heist and support for KID. Kudo felt sorry for Aoko. If he was Kudo, he would have stood up to support Aoko but now as Kaito…

Kudo leaned his chair back towards the only other opposer to KID in class, Hakuba's, table. "Oi Hakuba. Go support her." He said.

When the words fell out of his mouth, Kudo instantaneously regretted it. The narrowing of the eyes on Hakuba's face was just like his own when he receives information that hinted at something amiss.

Ah. crap.

Just as he struggled with coming up with something somewhat decent to justify his strange statement, Hakuba stood up, gave on last look at Kudo and walked to Nakamori Aoko.

"As a detective, I support you Nakamori-san. You should not be led astray by the little petty magic tricks of the playful thief." hakuba said while petting Aoko's shoulders. Aoko was visibly more relaxed at Hakuba's support.

After that line, Hakuba returned to his seat without a word. As Kudo sat at Kaito's desk, he could feel Hakua's intense and analytical glare from behind him.

Oh dang it. What was he going to do now?

For now, Kudo decided to leave Hakuba alone and ignore him. Let him make sense of the situation himself in however way he wants. He still has the big heist in front of him.

~ Midnight talktime~

'TEMEI! (damn you)" was the opening line when Kudo heard as he picked up the phone, a reaction Kudo anticipated given that 'letter' he had sent to Kaito.

The letter unlike the rest was completely flawed in many ways. Over the white paper, smeared all over it was Kaito's fingerprints. ALL OVER. Kudo made sure he left as many as he could on that piece of card sent to Kaito.

The message read in handwritten words of Kaito's own handwriting,

Dear tantei-kun,

The heist is set for the sapphire stone in Beika European museum.

Enclosed is the riddle. Do your best in solving it, 'meitantei'.

Let's have a fair showdown at the heist again.

Me against you, kaitou against tantei.

Caricature of KID

The instant Kaito received the notice, he knew something or rather many things were amiss. The most blatant of all was the fingerprints. Kudo had deliberately left 'his' fingerprints all over it. Greasy stain that even without special equipment, Kaito could easily observe.

The fingerprints didn't bother Kaito as much, he was certainly capable of removing such traces of evidence but the major problem that came was the very next day morning.

Early early in the morning, as Kudo had sent the notice to the police HQ late the night before, some keiji that Kudo knew personally, by the name of Megure or something called him up. In a urgent panic, he recited the KID notice not knowing that he had already received a copy himself.

"Kudo-kun! We have been trying to decode it, do you know anything about it?"

Kaito was still in half asleep mode when he muttered. "Oh the heist at Beika Museum on the sapphire right?"

That dropped the bomb.

It soon led to an avalanche of questions on how he knew the two pieces of information. The sapphire part was easily explained by Kaito, the blue, the shimmer and the chill all points to a blue gem stone. But why the sapphire of Beika European Museum got Kaito tongue-tied. If only he could show the police that card from Kudo… but he can't since it has Kaito's (HIS) fingerprints all over it.

Kudo clearly calculated for it to be this way.

For the whole day, because of that one slip of tongue, Kaito was chased by all media people. Now at midnight, he have a lot of pieces of his mind he wanted to give Kudo, who was no doubt grinning on the other end of the phone.

"I've heard all about your great revelation tantei-kun." came Kudo in his perfect KID voice.

"URGH Stop it Kudo. I'm going to go insane from this." Kaito wined on the other end.

Kudo chuckled into the phone.

"it's not that hard Kaito." Kudo replied in his normal voice.

"So since you are not going to tell me where is the clue for the Beika European Museum, I guess I can assume you are not going to tell me the date and time either, ne?" Kaito replied back coolly.

"Spot on. You are really getting better at detective work. Great deduction." Kudo teased on the other end.

"oh please." Kaito rolled his eyes, picking up on the cheer and replying it with his own tease. "Well then magician of the moonlight, you packed and ready for the heist?"

'Fret not. All readied." Kudo replied continuing in the teasing jolly tone. "let's await our showdown. Me

as you and you as me. Let's see who's gonna win this."

* * *

><p>Happy 2014 my readers!<p>

Today's back to back release means next chapter the actual heist will be published in the next few hours. Do await and thanks for reading!

Shiroi Mi


	14. Night of the heist

Part 2 of the back to back release: **Night of the heist**

Lets hope things go as Kudo, novice KID, planned... with Hakuba around...

* * *

><p>"it's anytime now! Keep on the alert!" Nakamori the officer in charge of the KID heist once again yelled.<p>

"Aye!" came the unison respond of the KID taskforce.

The museum was having its peak day. The number of tickets sold on that day itself for entry was double the total of the ticket sales for the last 5 months added together. The hall which held the sapphire stone was jam packed with people. Only the immediate vicinity of the sapphire display case was empty with only the armed forces of the taskforce and Nakamori-keibu shouting orders above the dim of the room.

The sapphire stone was held in the central hall. The central hall was the largest of hall displaying only the largest of crystals and gems from Europe. The room was designed after a cathedral with high ceilings and glass art windows.

The notice from KID had arrived 5 days ago. It was decoded after 1 day by the acclaimed High School Detective Kudo Shinichi.

In a widely publicized TV interview, 'Kudo' had made his deductions.

'Under the starlit evening of the creator's birth,

The glimmer of blue echoes its longing,

For the warmth that no longer caress its chill

A memory.

Kaitou Kid'

"The target is the sapphire stone from the Beika European Museum. The keywords of' glimmer of blue' and 'chill' points towards a blue crystal or clear gem." Kaito had said to the camera.

"The hint for the location comes in the 3rd line. The 'warmth' and the 'chill'. Initially I thought that it meant the coolness of the sapphire stone, but if so, this line and the specific keyword of the 'warmth' would be unnecessary since the 2nd line already points clearly to a sapphire.

Putting the 3rd line and the 4th line together, it links the keyword of warmth and memory. A suggestion of the past. A historical event.

At this point, I did a research on the historical events regarding a sapphire. Only one jumps quickly to mind - the sapphire crafted by Artisan Hughes. It matches all the keywords of the location and points towards a specific event that happened in London in the past.'

"The London Fires." the reporter filled in.

Kaito nodded.

"for those unfamiliar with London history, this happened in 1966. It swept through the central London and lasted for 3 days. Official death toll was only 6 but this number has been challenged as the death toll of the poor and middle-classes were not recorded and it was in this, poorer areas that the fire was the worst. The sapphire stone of Artisan Hughes was created at this time. In fact, Hughes claimed that this stone was purified by the natural blazing flames of this London fire when the fire consumed his house and his workplace. Therefore, this sapphire stone in the Beika Museum, also otherwise known as the London blue fire stone in London, is the target."

A chorus of "ohh" resounded as Kaito explained.

"So a simple search for the Hughes Lond blue fire stone brought me to Beika European Museum who only recently bought the stone over from London for display." Kaito finished.

'Then what about the time and date, Kudo-san?" The reported asked again, shoving the microphone to Kaito's face.

"The date and time can be easily deduced from the first line. 'The creator's birth' "

"You mean on the birthday of Finase Hughes?"

Kaito shook his head. "It has been a common misconception." Kaito said, looking sideways at Kogoro who had given that wrong deduction previously before. "The creator by no means refer to Finase Hughes."

"Remember, gemstones are found not created. Therefore, if KID was referring to Hughes, creator would be inappropriate. These stones are a natural part of nature only nature 'creates' them. Therefore the creator would refer to nature, an event and that would link back nicely to the London fire. 5th September, the end of the fire where the 'warmth of the fire would no longer caress the chill of the sapphire stone." Kaito gave a smirk.

OhhH~

So at that finale, the cameras clicked and flashed.

"Today is 5th September and the time of starlight evening by astrology has been deduced to have 8.25pm. It is now 8.15pm and with only 10 minutes left the crowd is reaching the peak of excitement." came the news commentator on Nichiju television, one of the many TV broadcasters responsible for broadcasting the heist live.

Kudo smiled as he watched the TV program on his smartphone. So far, everything's going according to plan.

He was already at scene since 2 hours ago, mixing amongst the earliest of KID supporters into the hall to do all the final checks.

~Two hours ago~

"Bocchan." came the voice of an elderly gentleman, Jii. Kudo had been surprised to find that the only accomplice that KID had was this elderly old man. Kudo had expected a group of thieves or something when he finally found the hideout. But Jii was the only one and apparently, he called Kaito 'bocchan."

Kudo wondered if Kaito was some heir to some family.

"What is it Jii?" He answered back as he was preparing all this final equipments for the heist.

"Master Toichii had always said, don't forget your…"

"Poker face. Right?" Kudo replied smoothly.

"yes right. You sure everything is fine? You are really not going to bring your handglider?" Jii asked worriedly. It was the first time Kaito had gone through his plans with him for the heist slowly and in great detail. Jii had been shocked out of this seat. Usually kaito would insist on playing it as and how he saw it at the moment. Now, Kaito had actually said he was not going to bring his handglider, his usual and always trump card ending.

"yep bringing such a thing for today will only be cumbersome." Kudo answered back. Well even if it was him, he couldn't possible be able to control a handglider of that unique make without practice and practice was something he didn't have the luxury off, given the time he took to plan in detail and research.

Plus tonight's magic show required no need for flying.

"alright.. If you say so." Jii said as kudo was all set to leave.

"Take care bocchan."

~Present~

"Achho!" Kaito sneezed. Someone must be talking about him, Kaito thought as he rubbed his nose.

Oh. He suddenly had a curious thought. If he sneezes, is someone talking about him (kaito) or Kudo his persona?

In whichever case, Kaito wished the person who stop. Sneezing in the crammed room full of KID supporters and police was uncomfortable.

Kaito was never comfortable with the police and he had never been on the ground in one of his heists. Now, crammed in that hall, much as he appreciated his supporters showing up for 'his' magic show, he did not like being crammed from all directions at all.

"Kudo, you fine?" came a concerned voice from beside him, a female keiji…

"Right. Right. I'm fine." Kaito replied as he was jostled and pushed from another direction. He positively felt someone's elbow in his kidneys OUCH.

"Oi Ran. You ok?" Kaito asked as he turned to his other side where Mouri Ran was standing with him. Ran was likewise jammed and crammed between people. The heat and smell of sweat was insufferable.

"I'm.. Ok." She managed to squeeze out over the din of the room.

Maybe bringing Ran was not a good idea after all, Kaito thought to himself.

"saa.. The countdown as began. It is only seconds more before 8.25pm, the promised time." the TV commenter said in a loud and excited voice.

"Tighten up the SECURITY!" Nakamori yelled along with the crowd's chorus of countdown.

5….

4…

3…

2…

1…!

On the dot of 8.25pm, all lights in the museum blacked out. From the blinding white of the lights, the hall was plunged into sudden darkness with only the full moon shining from the glass windows. The second as the light blew out, Kaito as with everyone else was momentarily blinded.

"Ladies and gentlemen." came a voice Kaito was so familiar with. Kaito, like all the other people in the room, tried to find the source of the voice. But their eyes haven't recovered from the sudden blackout yet.

As their eyes adjusted to the dim hall bathed in blue light from the moon, they saw a glowing figure, clad in perfect white, a monocle, a tall white hat and a grin that undoubtedly belonged to the infamous KID. The glowing figure stood hovering directly above the case which displayed the sapphire stone. Standing in midair in perfect ease.

"Welcome to tonight's magic show." the figure in white gave a bow. His white cape was draped gently and gracefully over his shoulders.

The crowd went wild.

"KID! KID! KID!" the crowd began to chant.

"Shhhh." KID in midair gave a gentle and mysterious hush that brought the hall to silence. The crowd looked on expectantly almost as if in a trance. No sound was audible.

"YOU KID!" came the sole voice of Nakamori breaking the magical trance in the hall. "GET YOUR ARSE DOWN HERE AND I'LL NAB YOU MYSELF!" His sole voice in the room seemed loud and ominous. The ground bounded keiji shook a fist angrily into the air.

Kudo gave a hearty and loud laugh. One that sounded completely confident and KID-like.

"Sorry to disappoint keibu, I won't be coming down" Kudo said with a mysterious grin.

"harh? You have to come down or you wont get the stone!." Nakamori continue shouting to KID standing in midair.

"I don't have to go down to get it, my dear keibu. I'll levitate it to me." Kudo announced.

In response to that declaration, the whole room erupted into excited whispers. "Levitation!?"!

"Oi." Nakamori barked to his taskforce. "Keep guard of the display. There is not way he could levitate something. Surround the box. His accomplice most likely will nab it from below and throw it to him or something."

Kaito watched the show with fascination. So far, he could easily see through the trick at Kudo was using to suspend himself into mid air but levitation was something kaito was curious. How was Kudo going to levitate the sapphire stone?

"Ja. There goes." Kudo said with a grin. He opened his palms wide and from there a cool blue glow erupted from his hands. The light radiated out from his palms, travelling down in a straight line to the case.

The crowd watched with fixated admiration and anticipation.

The light danced the way from the midair where Kudo stood towards the case and surrounded the sapphire stone. As the light enveloped the sapphire stone, the brilliance of the blue sapphire became every bluer under the dazzling blue light.

The light trail from Kudo's hands to the stone then began to shorten as if the stone was moving up towards KID. The crowd watched in amazement as the sapphire stone slowly but surely climbed its way up towards the hands of KID with nothing but the blue light holding it.

"WOAH!" erupted the crowd as the sapphire stone reached the hands of KID. Cheers soon followed suit.

"Sugoi. It really levitated!"

"the sapphire stone as promised will be taken by me." Kudo said and it held up the gem, letting the blue glimmer of the stone glitter one last time before setting it into his KID costume pocket.

"Don't panic." Nakamori continued to shout. "He has to come down in order to leave this place. Surround him from below. In an enclosed hall, he can't use his handglider either. Just nab him when he comes down."

"Tsk tsk. Naïve. Keibu. I said I won't be coming down. I am going to walk away from here."

"HARH? Walk?"

Kudo grinned but before he could go on to further explain, on the balcony of the 2nd floor, a media reporter shoved a microphone over the railings into Kudo's face and fired a question, "Why did you choose Hughes-san's sapphire stone? It seems an unusual choice given your record of going only after BIGGEST of jewels, heirlooms and collections."

'Tsk tsk." Kudo repeated in KID voice, waving a gloved white and slender finger in front of his only visible eye. "How can this stone be inferior in value to the ones I have stolen before?" Kudo said into the mic.

"Value can be measured in terms of the money and the precious-ness of the stone and material. But this stone is extremely valuable in the history that it represents." Kudo explained into the camera. "It symbolizes a time in history, a major event and more importantly, the survival through it."

"Sou (indeed)." He turned to the awe-struck crowd and opened his arms in a grandiose manner, causing his white cape to flutter behind him. "It is like refinement through flames, perfection at its best."

Following that loud declaration, the crowd erupted into cheers. Kudo smiled at the crowd. Objective 2 achieved. Kudo thought to himself.

"KID, you stay right there. I'm going to nab you now." came a very familiar loud voice from beside the media reporter at the balcony. Nakamori had somehow managed to squeeze through the crowd below and made his way to the 2nd floor balcony. He reached his hands over the railings and attempted to grab the fluttering white cape of KID.

Kudo laughed and danced out of his reach in mid air, stepping on nothing but air.

"It is time for the curtain call, my dear guests. I bid you all farewell!" Kudo announced as he gave a gentlemanly bow. Strolling in style, Kudo walked towards the side of a wall, still suspended in midair. Reaching the coloured glass art window, he placed one gloved hand gently on the chilly window and walked towards it, or rather into it. A tiny pink puff of smoke erupted and momentarily obstructed the view of the crowd. When it dispersed, Kid was gone as if he had just stepped through the wall out of the hall into the night.

Amazement stunned the crowd for a few seconds before loud cheers and applause broke out from the crowd.

"TO THE ROOF!" Nakamori yelled to his subordinates. "He must be using his handglider to getaway. ROOF PEOPLE. ROOF!"

Roughly shoving aside the TV people, he leapt through the doors of the balcony and dashed up the nearest flight of stairs he saw, making a beeline towards the roof.

When he finally reached, all he could see was a white clad triangular handglider already some distance away. "DAMN IT. He got away."

"That's a dummy." a new voice spoke from the shadows of the roof.

Nakamori turned around to see a slender, young blonde hair male - Hakuba.

"I have been laying in wait for KID here since the start of the heist. He has never came to the roof." Hakuba explained.

"JA where is HE?" Nakamori snapped at the high school detective.

Hakuba shrugged and did not give an answer. This man was not just dumb but rude. The type of people Hakuba didn't like dealing with.

Leaning against the wall of the roof, Hakuba pondered the events of that night thoroughly. He had been so sure that KID who use the roof as always, his ever-present source of escape - hand glider. But he hadn't. Has his deductions be wrong?


End file.
